The best UFC betting sites favor Adesanya over Pereira. The 5-round main event will be the highlight of the UFC 281 pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden. “The Last Stylebender” will be facing the only man who has ever been able to knock him out cold. Pereira overcame Adesanya in Glory Kickboxing, the first time by decision in 2016, and the second time by KO in 2017. In spite of those losses, the best online sportsbooks like Adesanya’s chances inside the cage.
Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya Odds by BetOnline
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Pereira | +170 |
| Adesanya | -200 |
Betting Israel Adesanya
Pereira, who ranks fifth in the middleweight division, has had just 3 fights in the UFC but he still deserves his being fast-tracked to a title championship match. “Poatan” went on to finish Sean Strickland with a nasty left hook at UFC 276.
That ended that bout in the very first round. He cashed in on his status as a slight favorite at the best betting sites. Prior to that, the Brazilian would secure wins over the likes of Bruno Silva (-200) and Andreas Michailidis (-275), the latter of whom he stopped with a flying knee.
Israel Adesanya, on the other hand, has rebounded following a decision loss to Jan Blachowicz in his light heavyweight debut at UFC 259. The Nigerian has had three straight decision wins against Marvin Vettori (-260), Robert Whittaker (-300) and Jared Cannonier (-550).
Adesanya Stats
Adesanya is deemed one of the more accurate counterstrikers in the promotion, but there is no doubt whatosoever that he is going to be hesitant to engage Pereira as a result of the challenger’s powerful left hand. This will give a big edge to Pereira.
Adesanya was caught on tape practicing his takedowns ahead of the fight with Cannonier, but the champion never even needed to go outside the ground game. Conversely, he did tapp his way to a decision win.
Pereira will not go down as easy, and that is why Adesanya has to be a lot more creative. The Last Stylebender is going to be Pereira’s smartest UFC opponent to date. Strickland, who is a very good wrestler, was looking to prove himself as a hitter against Pereira. This caused him to deviate from his game plan, drifting into a kickboxing match and getting KTFO for his trouble. Adesanya will not be playing into the challenger’s forte.
Adesanya has yet to land a takedown in the UFC. That does not mean though that he should not try to mix things up a little bit. The champion spent a lot of time on the ground with Whittaker at UFC 276 but he never appeared to be overmatched.
He was able to maintain a safe defensive position at all times and get back to his feet when he needed to. Moreover, Pereira’s only MMA defeat came by way of submission. He has been humbled one time before. Thus, Izzy should not feel like he has to out-strike Pereira. What he needs to do is win at all costs, and while that’s easier said than done, wrestling could be a road to the win.
Betting Alex Pereira
Pereira’s accurate left hook is considered to be one of the most deadly weapons in the world of mixed martial arts currently. It has been talked about plenty (we will get around to his past KOs soon enough) but the UFC saw it first hand in the 35-year-old’s fight versus Strickland.
Alex Pereira kept a very much upright position. He bounced lightly on his two feet (not unlike Adesanya, if you think about it). He used his long frame to rattle off straight hits. Strickland kept moving forward, so the Brazilian shifted out of his orthodox stance, and walloped the American with the aforementioned left hook, putting him to sleep with blows in tight after that.
In both Glory Kickboxing bouts between these two mixed martial artists, Poatan used a similar tactic. Pereira would pressure him and he would throw combos that he capped off with exotic high kicks, that Izzy could mostly evade and counter.
But when the duo got in close, however, it was that vaunted short and fast left hook that connected with the Nigerian on the chin and dropped him to the mat.
Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya Pick
This is an exciting matchup. Adesanya hasn’t had a challenge like this in a long time, and with their history, we expect that this fight will end in a finish. We see Izzy snapping out of his funk, leading to a kickboxing match wherein Pereira will finish The Last Stylebender to become the new champ.
