A dominant force inside the octagon, Israel Adesanya has managed to outwork all of his opponents in the middleweight division. He may be facing his toughest task to date at UFC 281 on November 12. Adesanya will defend the UFC middleweight title against Alex Pereira.
The fight will take place inside New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The two have faced off twice in kickboxing. Pereira defeated Adesanya via decision in April 2016 and via KO in March 2017. Since then, Adesanya has gone 12-1 in the UFC and has defended the middleweight title five times. Neutralizing his opponents, Adesanya has always shown confidence heading into his fights. He feels the same way against a familiar foe.
“I’ve always picked the guy no one wants to fight,” Adesanya stated on SportsCenter, via MMA Junkie. “The guy everyone runs away from, I run towards. So yeah, I run towards the fire, and this is no different.
"After he beat me in Brazil, I never had any plans of trying to get revenge or anything like that because I don’t hold on to things, I let go of things. But again, I’m telling you, the universe has presented this to me and it’s right there. The perfect alley-oop, and I’m going to slam this b----.”
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 281 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
Pereira turned pro in MMA 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 Sporting News will be providing weigh-in results for UFC 281. Follow along as each fighter on the card attempts to make weight. The weigh-ins will begin at 9 a.m. ET. See below for the results.
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.
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 weigh-in results
Main card
- Israel Adesanya (c) (185) vs. Alex Pereira (184.6) for the UFC middleweight title
- Carla Esparza (c) (114.8) vs. Zhang Weili (114.8) for the UFC strawweight title
- Dustin Poirier (156) vs. Michael Chandler (155.8); Lightweights
- Frankie Edgar (135.6) vs. Chris Gutierrez (136); bantamweights
- Dan Hooker (155.8) vs. Claudio Puelles (155.2); Lightweights
Prelims
- Brad Riddell (155.6) vs. Renato Moicano (155.8); Lightweights
- Dominick Reyes (205.4) vs. Ryan Spann (206.6); Light Heavyweights
- Molly McCann (125.4) vs. Erin Blanchfield (125); Flyweights
- Andre Petroski (185.8) vs. Wellington Turman (185.2); Middleweights
FIGHT PASS Prelims
- Matt Frevola (154.8) vs. Ottman Azaitar (155.6); Lightweights
- Michael Trizano (147.6) vs. Choi Seung-woo (145.6); Featherweights
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz (115.6) vs. Silvana Gomez Juarez (115.6); Strawweights
- Julio Arce (135.8) vs. Montel Jackson (135.8); Bantamweights
- Carlos Ulberg (205.2) vs. Nicolae Negumereanu (206); Light Heavyweights
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