UFC 281 predictions: Early ‘Prelims’ undercard preview | Adesanya vs. Pereira

After two pitched battles as kickboxers, UFC Middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, and Brazilian power-puncher, Alex Pereira, will look to lastly settle their rating contained in the Octagon after they headline UFC 281, which takes place inside Madison Sq. Backyard in New York, N.Y., this weekend (Sat., Nov. 12, 2022). One struggle prior, Strawweight queenpin, Carla Esparza, will try to show apart Zhang Weili for her first profitable title protection, whereas Dustin Poirier battles Michael Chandler in what’s positive to be an epic Light-weight barnburner.

UFC 281 options 9 “Prelims” undercard bouts this time round, cut up between ESPN+/Combat Go and ESPN+/ESPNEWS. Take a look at the early portion of the lineup under:

LIVE! Watch UFC 281 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLE-DIP! Final Preventing Championship (UFC) returns to “The Combat Mecca,” Madison Sq. Backyard in New York, N.Y., on Sat., Nov. 12, 2022, that includes two highly-anticipated championship showdowns. In UFC 281’s pay-per-view (PPV) principal occasion, Middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, will look to settle the rating with former kickboxing foe and No. 5-seeded contender, Alex Pereira. Within the ESPN+-streamed PPV co-main occasion, girls’s Strawweight champion, Carla Esparza, intends to defend her newly-won title for the primary time towards former champion and No. 2-ranked contender, Zhang Weili.

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

155 lbs.: Matt Frevola vs. Ottman Azaitar

Upsets of Jalin Turner and Luis Pena gave method to a prolonged layoff for Matt Frevola (9-3-1), adopted by losses to Arman Tsarukyan and Terrance McKinney. “The Steamrolla” finally righted the ship in Jan. 2022, pounding out fellow Contender Sequence graduate, Genaro Valdez, in a three-minute slugfest.

He’s submitted three skilled foes and knocked out two others.

Ottman Azaitar (13-0) entered the Octagon on a three-fight knockout streak, then made it 4 with a vicious one-punch wipeout of Teemu Packalen. He did a lot the identical to Khama Worthy only one 12 months later, overpowering him simply 93 seconds into the struggle for his second consecutive “Efficiency of the Evening” bonus.

He fights for the primary time in 27 months.

This boils down as to if Frevola can hold his cool. The person likes to slug it out, and whereas he’ll undoubtedly need to get Azaitar’s respect, he can’t rush issues. “Bulldozer” hits exhausting sufficient to spark him the best way Polo Reyes and the aforementioned McKinney did, however he’s coming off a protracted layoff and has light down the stretch earlier than. In different phrases, Frevola has to push a tough tempo with out leaving himself open to a one-hitter quitter.

I feel he’s received what it takes. He’s a substantial step up from Azaitar’s earlier opponents and it’s exhausting to miss the rust, drug check and different out-of-cage points dogging Azaitar. If he can keep away from the instantaneous wipeout, “Steamrolla” runs over “Bulldozer” with a late end.

Prediction: Frevola by way of third spherical technical knockout

115 lbs.: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Silvana Gomez Juarez

Karolina Kowalkiewicz (13-7) went from opening her UFC profession 5-2, these losses coming to Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha, to shedding 5 straight. She lastly snapped an almost four-year winless streak in June 2022, ending Felice Herrig by way of rear-naked choke.

She surrenders one inch of attain to “La Malvada.”

Grappling points value Silvana Gomez Juarez (11-4) in her first two UFC appearances, leading to armbar defeats to Lupita Godinez and Vanessa Demopoulos. The development wasn’t to final, as she subsequently crushed armbar particular Liang Na in simply 82 seconds.

That victory marked her seventh by knockout and ninth end general.

Kowalkiewicz regarded loads like her previous self towards Herrig, overwhelming “Lil’ Bulldog” with fixed mixture punching and tearing her up with knees inside. She additionally confirmed off her previous tendencies to face bolt upright along with her chin uncovered, which you will recall from the time Jessica Andrade knocked her block off. Gomez Juarez is a sufficiently highly effective puncher to recreate that catastrophe and greater than quick sufficient to catch Kowalkiewicz when she leaves herself uncovered.

I’m not saying Kowalkiewicz can’t overwhelm her with quantity or bully her into an ill-advised grappling alternate, however the former’s willingness to interact and the quantity of harm she’s collected through the years means that she’ll find yourself on the mistaken finish of Gomez Juarez’s proper cross earlier than she will be able to get any actual attrition going.

Prediction: Gomez Juarez by way of first spherical technical knockout

145 lbs.: Mike Trizano vs. Seung Woo Choi

Two years after struggling his first skilled loss to Grant Dawson, The Final Fighter (TUF) 27 winner, Mike Trizano 10-3), returned in a giant means by upsetting the extremely touted Ludovit Klein. He’s but to recapture that success, falling brief in 2022 battles with Hakeem Dawodu and Lucas Almeida.

He faces a 3.5-inch attain drawback and a one-inch peak drawback.

Seung Woo Choi (10-5) shook off a winless (0-2) UFC begin to win his subsequent three, most notably stopping Alex Caceres in simply 97 seconds. A comeback submission loss to Alex Caceres adopted, after which he dropped a cut up resolution to Joshua Culibao.

“Sting” has scored six knockouts as an expert.

The actual intrigue right here lies in how their flaws will work together. Trizano is the higher technician, however could be far too reluctant to let his arms go. Choi is the quicker of the 2 and the heavier hitter, however extraordinarily defensively porous and one-note along with his mixtures. It’s a query of whether or not Trizano can pull the set off to use the openings Choi leaves whereas attacking.

I’ll chew the bullet and say, “Sure.” Choi isn’t practically as versatile an eight-limb striker as Klein, Dawodu nor Almeida, which ought to make Trizano much less hesitant to discover a dwelling for his counters. It wouldn’t be stunning in any respect to see Choi blitz him to demise, however Trizano will land sufficient clear counters to earn the win.

Prediction: Trizano by way of unanimous resolution

135 lbs.: Julio Arce vs. Montel Jackson

Julio Arce (18-5) knocked out Peter Petties to earn a UFC berth, then made probably the most of it by dominating Dan Ige and Daniel Teymur. That might show to be his final win streak thus far as a result of he has alternated losses and wins in his present 3-3 stretch.

The ten skilled finishes for Arce are cut up evenly between knockouts and submissions.

The Montel Jackson (11-2) knockout of Rico DiSciullo on Contender Sequence didn’t earn him a UFC contract, however he quickly stepped up on brief discover to satisfy Ricky Simon at UFC 227. Although he fell brief in that struggle, “Quik” has since received 5 of six, two of them inside the space.

He stands three inches taller than Arce and could have an almost half-foot attain benefit.

Arce is an absolute pleasure to look at. He’s a gatekeeper in a non-derogatory means; nonetheless, should you’ve uncared for your technical putting in favor of uncooked aggression or an “unconventional” method, he’ll make you look downright silly. He could be overpowered by heavier hitters, although, and that’s a foul signal for his possibilities right here. Jackson is likely one of the greatest Bantamweights on the roster and packs the punching energy to match, so whereas his rise up might lack the depth of Arce’s, he’s received the bodily skills to make up for it.

The one actual reply to Jackson appears to be taking him down, which Arce ostensibly lacks the means to do. Arce nonetheless has an out of doors probability of threading the needle and pot-shotting his method to victory, however odds are that Jackson ranges him with a straight left down the pipe.

Prediction: Jackson by way of first spherical technical knockout

205 lbs.: Carlos Ulberg vs. Nicolae Negumereanu

Carlos Ulberg (7-1) crushed Bruno Oliveira on Contender Sequence to earn a UFC berth, solely to fall to Kennedy Nzechukwu of their UFC 259 “Combat of the Evening.” After cruising previous Fabio Cherant to get again within the win column, he took simply 65 seconds to knock out fellow Contender Sequence graduate, Tafon Nchukwi, in June 2022.

“Black Jag” stands 4 inches taller than Nicolae Negumereanu (13-1), however offers up one inch of attain.

“Nicu’s” UFC profession began on the mistaken foot, as he dropped a call to Saparbeg Safarov earlier than spending two years on the sidelines. He’s excellent (4-0) since, together with knockouts of Ike Villanueva and Ihor Potieria.

His 11 stoppage wins embody eight by type of knockout.

For as harmful as he could be when he will get going, Negumereanu is commonly a check of composure greater than anything. He’s not that quick, not that technical a striker, and never that efficient a wrestler, however he is completely relentless. Prior foes like Aleksa Camur have gotten caught up in teeing off on his unprotected face and allowed “Nicu” to steadily put on them down, and if Ulberg falls into the identical lure he did towards Nzechukwu, it’s not exhausting to ascertain him struggling the same destiny.

That mentioned, Ulberg’s win over Fabio Cherant confirmed that he can stink out the joint with a keep-away method if wanted. There’s not a lot Negumereanu can do to him if Ulberg takes a conservative method, continually circling and choosing away with jabs and verify hooks. As long as Ulberg minds his P’s and Q’s and doesn’t attempt to power a end, he’ll cruise to victory.

Prediction: Ulberg by way of unanimous resolution

4 extra UFC 281 “Prelims” undercard bouts stay to preview and predict, together with the return of Dominick Reyes reverse dependable finisher Ryan Spann. Similar time tomorrow, Maniacs.

Keep in mind that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the complete UFC 281 struggle card proper here, beginning with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches on-line, that are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard (on ESPNEWS/ESPN+) at 8 p.m. ET, earlier than the PPV principal card begin time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

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