Betting: UFC 281 Instant Reaction
Kevin Iole recaps the UFC 281 PPV Card from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Video Transcript
KEVIN IOLE: What's up, everybody? This is Kevin Iole in Madison Square Garden. UFC 281 just ended, and we have two not one but two new UFC champion. Zhang Weili won the throw away champion. She was expected to do that.
She was on minus 400 favorite at [INAUDIBLE] MGM over Carla Esparza. But the shocking news, Israel Adesanya in the final round was knocked out by Alex Pereira and loses his title. Adesanya was in control of the fight, look good in the fifth round, but the Pereira's power was always there. Adesanya closes a minus 225 favorite. Pereira was mi-- plus 180. Excuse me.
He was attacking Israel the whole time, but out of front, he boxed beautifully. He moved a lot in the first round. Right at the end, he hit him with a right hand, left hook, hurt him. Might have finished him had [INAUDIBLE]. Hurt him again in the third round, was really looking good in the fight, got into the fifth.
Out of front, he got hit by a right hand. Pereira followed it up with a second right hand. Adesanya was in big trouble. Pereira is a great finisher, and he finished him. The interesting thing about that was similar to the last kickboxing fight they had.
Pereira beat Adesanya twice in kickboxing. Once by decision, and in 2017, he loses the first two rounds, and finishes out of [INAUDIBLE] in the third round. It happened again tonight. And the third fight down on the card, Dustin Poirier submits Michael Chandler in the third round of a fantastic fight. 48 he went off as a minus 225 favorite.
The fight was just fantastic up and down. All over the place. Very fast. Poirier got taken down almost slammed by Chandler. He goes out the back to get out. Gets Chandler's back, puts on the rear naked choke and gets the win.
An amazing finish right there. Dustin Poirier defeats Michael Chandler. But the big news once again, at Madison Square Garden in New York. UFC 281. Alex Pereira, the new middleweight champion of the UFC ending the reign of Israel Adesanya, and knocking him out at 201 of the fifth round. For "Yahoo! Sports," I am Kevin Iole.
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