UFC 281

Dan Hooker (-155) vs. Claudio Puelles (+120). Kicking off the main card in a fashion that Joe Silva would approve of is a lightweight battle between ...

SportsLine's Kyle Marley reveals his UFC 281 picks and predictions for Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya in New York City.

Puelles (12-2) is a four-year UFC veteran and ground-game savant who has seen three of his five UFC victories come by submission. Hooker (21-12) is an eight-year veteran who was once a top-five ranked contender in the loaded lightweight division. Marley also has strong picks for Adesanya vs. At that time, Pereira (6-1) wasn't known to UFC observers but he was gaining recognition in lesser-known promotions. Pereira and every other bout on the UFC 281 card. Adesanya is a -220 favorite (risk $220 to win $100), while Pereira is offered at +180 in the latest Caesars Sportsbook MMA odds for UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Now, they will renew their rivalry with a UFC title on the line. The 33-year-old, Nigeria-born fighter became the undisputed champion when he knocked out former titleholder Robert Whittaker in October 2019 at UFC 243. Coincidentally, the last fight of his kickboxing career came in the knockout loss to Pereira in March 2017. Adesanya and Pereira have navigated similar career paths as both turned to professional MMA later in their careers after establishing themselves in other disciplines, primarily kickboxing. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event. This one comes against a familiar foe in Pereira, who has beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing.

Watch UFC 281, headlined by Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira, with MMA Fighting live during a main card watch party beginning 9:45 p.m. ET.

Prior to that, former lightweight champ [Frankie Edgar](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/60/frankie-edgar) makes the walk to the octagon for the final time in a bantamweight bout against the surging [Chris Gutierrez](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2785/chris-gutierrez). ET / 6:45 p.m. Watch MMA Fighting’s UFC 281 Watch Party at 9:45 p.m. [Dan Hooker](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2917/daniel-hooker) looks to get back to his winning ways and halt the five-fight win streak of [Claudio Puelles](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3886/claudio-puelles). [Dustin Poirier](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/233/dustin-poirier) and [Michael Chandler](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/455/michael-chandler). [Carla Esparza](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/818/carla-esparza) puts her newly won title on the line against former champ [Zhang Weili](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4539/zhang-weili).

In the main event, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against challenger Alex Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who ...

The UFC heads to Madison Square Garden with a loaded card that features Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 281 for the middleweight.

Also on the prelims, former UFC light heavyweight title challenger, Dominick Reyes, will collide with the promotion's #12 ranked 205-pounder, Ryan Spann. The ...

'WTF': Double knockdown stuns; last-minute scorecard controversy — UFC LIVE.

Israel Adesanya defends his 185-pound crown against Alex Pereira. The the main event of the ESPN+ pay-per-view is likely to happen sometime after midnight.

Kicking off the main card will be a ranked lightweight looking to prevent an unranked fighter from cracking the top-15. The UFC's #12 rated 155-pounder, Dan ...

The UFC’s #12 rated 155-pounder, Dan Hooker, will dance with a man known for his kneebars, Claudio Puelles. The UFC’s former lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar, will be competing in the final match of his legendary career against a streaking Chris Gutierrez. Kicking off the main card will be a ranked lightweight looking to prevent an unranked fighter from cracking the top-15.

The UFC's middleweight title will be up for grabs in the UFC 281 main event when the reigning champion, Israel Adesanya, defends his belt against a ...