Alex Pereira is one of the few men to have ever defeated Israel Adesanya in a fight, but the stakes are much higher when the old foes meet in the main event of UFC 281 from Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Middleweight champion Adesanya will make his sixth title defense against No. 4-ranked Pereira on the back end of a title-fight doubleheader to close the pay-per-view main card from New York City (10 p.m. ET).
Before switching to mixed martial arts, both fighters were professional kickboxers. Pereira has defeated Adesanya twice, once by knockout, and has risen through the ranks of the UFC in preparation for his first title shot against his longtime rival.
In the latest OKBET MMA betting odds for UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira, Adesanya is a -230 favorite (risk $230 to win $100), while Pereira is a +190 underdog. Women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza (+280) defends her title against former champion Zhang Weili in the co-main event (-360). Before making your own picks for UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira, make sure to read SportsLine expert Kyle Marley’s MMA predictions and betting advice.
Marley won the first-ever “ToutMaster” UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows on a regular basis. Before each professional MMA card, he watches every single fight and conducts extensive research.
$100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks have made more than $13,000 over the last three years. In January, the accomplished MMA analyst advised SportsLine members to back Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in the featherweight main event. Kattar’s lopsided unanimous-decision victory provided Marley’s supporters with yet another easy winner. Anyone who has followed him is on the rise.
With UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira approaching, Marley has gone through the card from top to bottom and revealed his best bets.
His MMA picks are only available at okbet.com
Read more: OKBET MMA Betting Site, Odds and UFC Betting Tips
UFC 281 preview: Adesanya vs. Pereira
Both Adesanya and Pereira followed similar career paths, transitioning to professional MMA after establishing themselves in other disciplines, primarily kickboxing. The middleweight champion debuted in MMA in March 2012 and remained active in both sports for the next five years.
Coincidentally, his last fight in kickboxing was a knockout loss to Pereira in March 2017. When he signed with the UFC, he had a record of 30-5 and predicted that he would become a champion in the MMA world’s most famous promotion.
Adesanya (23-1) made good on his promise right away. He made his UFC debut in 2018 and won the interim title against Kelvin Gastelum in April 2019. When he knocked out former titleholder Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in October 2019, the 33-year-old Nigerian fighter became the undisputed champion.
Pereira (6-1) was unknown to UFC observers at the time, but he was gaining traction in lesser-known promotions. In an unusual move, the UFC signed him after only four professional fights and pushed him against quality opponents, ostensibly so he could potentially renew his rivalry with Adesanya in a division devoid of legitimate contenders.
In July, the 35-year-old fought a title eliminator against rising contender Sean Strickland at UFC 276 and won with a first-round knockout. With a UFC title on the line, they will renew their rivalry. You can see who to support right here.
Predictions for UFC 281
We’ll share one of Marley’s UFC 281 picks with you here: He’s betting on Dustin Poirier (-220) to beat Michael Chandler (+180) in a main-card bout between former lightweight title challengers.
Inside the ring, both fighters are known for their elite striking, fearlessness, and sinister demeanors. Many MMA analysts, including Marley, believe this fight will be named Fight of the Night.
Poirier (28-7-1) is best known for his two knockout victories over Conor McGregor, but the Louisiana native also has a stoppage victory over Justin Gaethje. He’s looking to reclaim the title after a stoppage loss to Charles Oliveira for the belt in December of last year.
Chandler (23-7) is a former Bellator champion who has gone 2-2 in four UFC appearances. One of those was a title loss to Oliveira in May of last year. In his previous appearance, the 36-year-old defeated former interim champion Tony Ferguson. See who else you can choose from here.
How to Make UFC 281 Predictions
Marley also likes Adesanya vs. Pereira and every other fight on the UFC 281 card. He’s also betting on a fighter who “will dominate in the striking” to win big. Marley’s picks and predictions can only be found on SportsLine.
Who will win between Adesanya and Pereira? And how does each fight conclude? Find out now by visiting SportsLine and getting detailed picks on every fight at UFC 281, all from the incomparable expert who’s up more than $13,000 on MMA in the last three years.
UFC 281 betting odds and fight card
- UFC 281 picks, best bets, and predictions are available here.
- Zhang Weili (-360) vs. Carla Esparza (+280) Israel Adesanya (-230) vs. Alex Pereira (+190)
- Michael Chandler (+180) vs. Dustin Poirier (-220)
- Frankie Edgar (+200) vs. Chris Gutierrez (-240)
- Claudio Puelles (+130) vs. Dan Hooker (-155)
- Brad Riddell (+105) vs. Renato Moicano (-125)
- Ryan Spann (+180) vs. Dominick Reyes (-220)
- Molly McCann (+310) vs. Erin Blanchfield (-400)
- Wellington Turman (+160) vs. Andre Petroski (-190)
- Matt Frevola (+140) vs. Ottman Azaitar (-165)
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz (+105) vs. Silvana Gomez Juarez (-125)
- Michael Trizano (+155) vs. Sueng Woo Choi (-180)
- Julio Arce (+175) vs. Montel Jackson (-210)
- Nicolae Negumereanu (+120) vs. Carlos Ulberg (-140)
