UFC 281 Tips and Predictions

Dateline New York!!!!

Fight fans, we're back for the big show at the big apple.

UFC 281 is as stacked as the UFC cards get and we cannot wait for these fights to go down at the packed Madison Square Garden.

Two belts are on the line along with the people's main event which has fight of the night written all over it.

We're back this week to break down that intriguing main event and pick some smart money lines for you guys, so let's dive right in!!

Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira

Every Adesanya main event has a big fight feel to it but this one feels bigger than ever as the champ is set to face his biggest foe for undisputed gold and bragging rights.

Israel Adesanya is one of the best fighters to ever do it and he solidifies his legacy every time he walks out to defend his belt.

He has defended his belt five times while beating elite competitors like Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, and Yoel Romero.

Israel is one of the best strikers in the UFC, but he finally has a dance partner who can trade shots on the feet with him.

Enter Poatan, Alex Pereira has had a quick rise to a UFC title shot, and his kickboxing fights with the UFC champ had a big role to play in this matchup.

Pereira has won 3 UFC fights in a row and his most impressive performance came in a round 1 knockout against Sean Strickland.

But it is his two kickboxing victories against Israel that have won him this title shot and many believe he will be the champ's toughest test.

The pathway to victory for the champ is to evade the power shots, maintain his elusive footwork and keep the foot on the gas.

Whereas, Pereira has already knocked out the champ so he will walk in with confidence and will look to set up his power shots early in the fight.

Best Bets

Our first best bet this week comes on our early prelims headliner between Matt Frevola and Ottman Azaitar.

This fight is going to be an explosive and fun one to watch but we think Frevola’s chin is not there anymore to handle the power of Azaitar.

Azaitar is coming off a 2-year lay-off which is the only reason this line is as close as it is, but we think he will make quick work of Frevola by knocking him out early.

Our next bet is on the people's main event between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler.

This fight is going to be fun, explosive, and packed with action.

We're not sure what Poirier's motivation is anymore as he is likely out of the title picture given he has had 2 failed attempts.

Whereas Chandler is hungry for the big stage, and he does have the power to knock anyone out. So, at a near 3/1 price, we're backing Iron Mike to get it done.

Our final bet comes on the main event between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.

Adesanya has looked untouchable at middleweight, and we cannot see the champ losing here.

Izzy has more MMA experience, more championship miles, and the motivation to prove a point so we think he can either dominate for 5 rounds or pick his shots to get a late finish.

Selection: Ottman Azaitar (Win market) @1.78

Selection: Michael Chandler (Win market) @2.85

Selection: Israel Adesanya KO or points (Win method, double chance) @1.59

Selection: Parlay all Selections @8.07