The ‘UFC 281 Countdown’ video features the three most anticipated fights set to go down at Madison Square Garden in New York this Saturday.
In the main event, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya — No. 1 at 185 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings and No. 2 in the Pound-for-Pound rankings — takes on a man who has twice defeated him in kickboxing, the thrilling Alex Pereira. When the two last fought, it was Pereira who walked out of the ring with a knockout victory over “The Last Stylebender.” Now the Brazilian star seeks to snap Adesanya’s run of successful title defenses.
The co-main event sees strawweight champion Carla Esparza face former champion Zhang Weili. Esparza, the inaugural titleholder at 115 pounds currently in her second reign, is currently the underdog according to the oddsmakers, and she seeks not only to retain her title, but to gain a modicum of respect.
Also featured in ‘Countdown’ is the lightweight contenders’ bout between fan favorites Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. With both men looking to stay afloat in one of MMA’s most loaded divisions, nothing short of a Fight of the Year contender is expected.
The full ‘UFC 281 Countdown’ video can be watched above.
