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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
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Matt Erickson

UFC 281: Make your predictions for Adesanya vs. Pereira, Esparza vs. Weili title fights

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 281 event in New York.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC 281 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 281 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.

Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Carlos Ulberg

Records: Nicolae Negumereanu (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Carlos Ulberg (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Past five: Negumereanu 4-1, Ulberg 4-1
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Negumereanu +105, Ulberg -130

Julio Arce vs. Montel Jackson

Records: Julio Arce (18-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Montel Jackson (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC)
Past five: Arce 3-2, Jackson 4-1
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Arce +170, Jackson -220

Seungwoo Choi vs. Michael Trizano

Records: Seungwoo Choi (10-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC), Michael Trizano (9-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Past five: Choi 3-2, Trizano 2-3
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Choi -165, Trizano +130

Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Records: Silvana Gomez Juarez (11-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Karolina Kowalkiewicz (13-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC)
Past five: Juarez 3-2, Kowalkiewicz 1-4
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Juarez -120, Kowalkiewicz -105

Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola

Records: Ottman Azaitar (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Matt Frevola (9-3-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC)
Past five: Azaitar 5-0, Frevola 3-2
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Azaitar -110, Frevola -115

Andre Petroski vs. Wellington Turman

Records: Andre Petroski (8-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Wellington Turman (18-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Past five: Petroski 4-1, Turman 3-2
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Petroski -210, Turman +160

Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann

Records: Erin Blanchfield (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Molly McCann (13-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC)
Past five: Blanchfield 5-0, McCann 3-2
Division: Women’s flyweight
Rankings: McCann No. 14
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Blanchfield -420, McCann +300

Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann

Records: Dominick Reyes (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), Ryan Spann (20-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
Past five: Reyes 2-3, Spann 3-2
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: Reyes No. 10, Spann honorable mention
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Reyes -230, Spann +175

Renato Moicano vs. Brad Riddell

Records: Renato Moicano (16-5-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC), Brad Riddell (10-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Past five: Moicano 3-2, Riddell 3-2
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Moicano -120, Riddell -105

Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles

Records: Dan Hooker (21-12 MMA, 11-8 UFC), Claudio Puelles (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC)
Past five: Hooker 1-4, Puelles 5-0
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: Hooker No. 13
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Hooker -170, Puelles +135

Frankie Edgar vs. Chris Gutierrez

Records: Frankie Edgar (24-10-1 MMA, 18-10-1 UFC), Chris Gutierrez (18-3-2 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC)
Past five: Edgar 1-4, Gutierrez 4-0-1
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: Edgar No. 11
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Edgar +170, Gutierrez -220

Michael Chandler vs. Dustin Poirier

Records: Michael Chandler (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Dustin Poirier (28-7 MMA, 20-6 UFC)
Past five: Chandler 3-2, Poirier 3-2
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: Poirier No. 3, honorable mention pound-for-pound; Chandler No. 8
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Chandler +170, Poirier -220

Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili

Records: Carla Esparza (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), Zhang Weili (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
Past five: Esparza 5-0, Weili 3-2
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: Esparza No. 1, No. 4 pound-for-pound; Weili No. 3, No. 7 pound-for-pound
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Esparza +280, Weili -400

Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira

Records: Israel Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC), Alex Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
Past five: Adesanya 4-1, Pereira 5-0
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: Adesanaya No. 1, No. 1 pound-for-pound; Pereira No. 6
Odds (as of 11.07.22): Adesanya -190, Pereira +145

UFC 281 fight card (as of Nov. 7, 1 p.m. ET)

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – for middleweight title
  • Champ Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili – for women’s strawweight title
  • Michael Chandler vs. Dustin Poirier
  • Frankie Edgar vs. Chris Gutierrez
  • Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Renato Moicano vs. Brad Riddell
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann
  • Andre Petroski vs. Wellington Turman

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola
  • Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
  • Seungwoo Choi vs. Michael Trizano
  • Julio Arce vs. Montel Jackson
  • Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Carlos Ulberg
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