UFC 281 date, start time, odds, schedule & card for Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira

Daniel Yanofsky

UFC 281 date, start time, odds, schedule & card for Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira image

For the first time inside the octagon, Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira will face off. The two rivals fight for Adesanya’s UFC middleweight title at UFC 281 on Nov. 12. UFC 281 takes place inside New York’s Madison Square Garden. 

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. Since then, Adesanya has defended the belt five times. 

“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. He is getting a title shot after only seven pro fights. 

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+

The co-main event will see Carla Esparza defend the UFC strawweight title against Zhang Weili. The first UFC strawweight champion, Esparza won the title in 2014 (against Rose Namajunas). Esparza lost the title against Joanna Jedrzejczyk in 2015. She went 8-3 and was on a five-fight win streak when she made her way back to the title. 

Esparza beat Namajunas in May to win the title back. 

Zhang made her pro debut in 2013. Joining the UFC in 2018, she beat Jessica Andrade for the strawweight title. Losing the belt against Namajunas, Zhang last fought in June, beating Joanna in a rematch via knockout.

The Sporting News has a full rundown of UFC 281, including schedule, matchups, start times, odds and more for Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira, Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili, and the entire card.

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. GMT | 10:15 a.m. AEDT
  • Prelims: 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT
  • Main card: 10 p.m. ET | 3 a.m. GMT | 2 p.m. AEDT 
  • Main event: 12:15 a.m. ET | 5:15 a.m. GMT | 4:15 p.m. AEDT (approximately)

UFC 281 takes place on Nov. 12. The FIGHT PASS prelims begin at 6:15 p.m. ET | 11:15 p.m. GMT | 10:15 a.m. AEDT, while the regular prelims start at 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET | 3 a.m. GMT | 2 p.m. AEDT.

Adesanya and Pereira should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET | 5:15 a.m. GMT | 4 p.m. AEDT, depending on how long the undercard fights last. 

MORE: Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira purse, salaries

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)

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 $124.98 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
UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) $124.98, then $99.99/year

Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.

Where is UFC 281: Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira?

UFC 281 takes place inside New York’s Madison Square Garden. “The World’s Most Famous Arena” can hold more than 20,000 people. 

How much do tickets for UFC 281 cost? 

Tickets for UFC 281 start at $422, per TicketSmarter

Prices then range from $500 to $14,424. 

Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira odds for UFC 281

Per the Caesars Sportsbook, Adesanya is the -170 favorite, while Pereira is the +145 underdog.

In Canada, per Sports Interaction, Adesanya is the -175 favorite, while Pereira is the +140 underdog. 

Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili odds for UFC 281

Per the Caesars Sportsbook, Zhang is the -360 favorite, while Esparza is the +280 underdog. 

In Canada, per Sports Interaction, Zhang is the -360 favorite, while Esparza is the +250 underdog. 

Israel Adesanya record, bio

  • Nationality: Nigerian
  • Born: July 22, 1989
  • Height: 6-4
  • Reach: 80 inches
  • Total fights: 24
  • Record: 23-1 with 15 wins via knockout

Alex Pereira record, bio

  • Nationality: Brazilian
  • Born: July 7, 1987
  • Height: 6-4
  • Reach: 79 inches
  • Total fights: 7
  • Record: 6-1 with five wins via knockout

MORE: How to bet on combat sports

Carla Esparza record, bio

  • Nationality: American
  • Born: Oct. 10, 1987
  • Height: 5-1
  • Reach: 63 inches
  • Total fights: 25
  • Record: 19-6 with four wins via knockout

Zang Weili record, bio

  • Nationality: Chinese
  • Born: Aug. 13, 1989
  • Height: 5-4
  • Reach: 63 inches
  • Total fights: 25
  • Record: 22-3 with 11 wins via knockout

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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Daniel Yanofsky