(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for champs Alex Pereira, Zhang Weili after UFC 281 wins?)
After entering UFC 281 as champions, Israel Adesanya and Carla Esparza both had their title reigns come to an end Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Adesanya (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) lost his middleweight belt to Alex Pereira (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in the main event when he succumbed to a stunning comeback that ended in a fifth-round TKO for his Brazilian foe. The co-headliner saw Esparza (19-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) drop the women’s strawweight strap when Zhang Weili (23-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) tapped her out with a choke in the second round.
What should be next for Adesanya and Esparza now that they no longer are UFC champions? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on their futures.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
