NEW YORK – The highly anticipated UFC 281 main event between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira is official after both men made weight Friday.
The last major piece of fight week business for Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) and Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is in the books after both men stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins at the UFC host hotel. Madison Square Garden hosts Saturday’s event, which airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.
Champion Adesanya came to the scale early in the two-hour window. He weighed in at 185 pounds on the nose. Challenger Pereira came to the scale with just about six minutes left in the session. He used the screen to weigh in without clothes and was 184.6 to make the fight official. Watch the video above to see Adesanya and Pereira make weight for the UFC 281 headliner.
Adesanya, who is No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings and No. 1 on the pound-for-pound list, as well, will attempt to avenge a pair of kickboxing losses to No. 6-ranked middleweight Pereira when they meet at UFC 281. Pereira won the first kickboxing fight on the scorecards, then won their rematch by knockout. Now they’ll cross paths again in a different sport.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
