Israel Adesanya will look to defend the UFC middleweight title for the sixth time, while also beating a familiar opponent at UFC 281 on Saturday. Inside Madison Square Garden, Adesanya faces Alex Pereira.
Adesanya made his pro debut in 2012 and joined the UFC in 2018. In 2019, he beat Kelvin Gastelum for the interim UFC middleweight title and beat Robert Whittaker a few months later to become champion. "The Last Stylebender" last fought in July, beating Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision.
Pereira turned pro in 2015. Joining the UFC in 2021, he is 3-0 with the promotion. Pereira last fought in July, beating Sean Strickland via knockout.
The two have faced off twice in kickboxing. Pereira defeated Adesanya via decision in April 2016, and then won via KO in March 2017.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 281 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
Besides fighting for gold and advancing their rivalry, Adesanya and Pereira are looking to earn a big paycheck. Here's how much the two fighters are set to earn at UFC 281, along with their purse history.
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira fight purse, prize money
The official UFC 281 purse has not yet been revealed, but previous payouts for Adesanya and Pereira could help provide insight as to how much they will earn.
Per The Sports Daily, Adesanya earned about $153,000 in his UFC debut in 2018. When he fought Anderson Silva at UFC 234 in 2019, Adesanya reportedly earned about $178,000. When he beat Robert Whittaker for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 243, Adesanya earned $490,000. Adesanya earned about $642,000 for his rematch with Whittaker.
Per Sports Zion, Adesanya took home $1.8 million in his last bout against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276.
Per The Sports Daily, Pereira made $134,000 in his UFC debut against Andreas Michailidis inside Madison Square Garden. Per Sports Zion, Pereira took home $188,000 in his last fight against Sean Strickland.
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What is Israel Adesanya’s net worth?
Per Celebrity Net Worth, Adesanya is worth about $4 million.
Comparing him with other stars in the UFC, Jon Jones has a net worth of about $3 million, while Francis Ngannou has a net worth of $5 million. Conor McGregor has a net worth of $200 million. Leon Edwards' net worth is about $1.5 million.
What is Alex Pereira’s net worth?
Per First Sportz, Pereira has a reported net worth of $2 million.
When is UFC 281: Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira?
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 12
- FIGHT PASS Prelims: 6:15 p.m. ET | 11:15 p.m. ET | 8:15 a.m. AEST
- Prelims: 8 p.m. the United Kingdom, the main card will be available on BT Sport, with the prelims available on UFC Fight Pass.
How to watch UFC 281: Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. Nov. 12 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Sat. Nov. 12 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sat. Nov. 12 | BT Sport |
| Australia | Sun. Nov. 13 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
The main card for UFC 281 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
In the United Kingdom, the main card will be available on BT Sport, with the prelims available on UFC Fight Pass.
In Australia, the main card will be on Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira PPV price: How much does UFC 281 cost?
- $74.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $99.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 281 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 281 is $74.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $99.98 for the UFC 281 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 281 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $74.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $99.98, then $69.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle | $88.98, then $13.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 281 fight card
Main card
- Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Alex Pereira for the UFC middleweight title
- Carla Esparza (c) vs. Zhang Weili for the UFC strawweight title
- Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler; Lightweights
- Frankie Edgar vs. Chris Gutierrez; bantamweights
- Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles; Lightweights
Prelims
- Brad Riddell vs. Renato Moicano; Lightweights
- Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann; Light Heavyweights
- Molly McCann vs. Erin Blanchfield; Flyweights
- Andre Petroski vs. Wellington Turman; Middleweights
FIGHT PASS Prelims
- Matt Frevola vs. Ottman Azaitar; Lightweights
- Michael Trizano vs. Choi Seung-woo; Featherweights
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Silvana Gomez Juarez; Strawweights
- Julio Arce vs. Montel Jackson; Bantamweights
- Carlos Ulberg vs. Nicolae Negumereanu; Light Heavyweights
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