Matches to Make After UFC 281

UFC 281 was headlined by an intriguing throwback matchup on Saturday at the world-famous Madison Square Garden in New York.

On one side, you had middleweight kingpin and top pound-for-pound talent Israel Adesanya with a 23-1 record. He was undefeated at 185 pounds with five successful title defenses, though his encounter with Yoel Romero and his rematch with Robert Whittaker could have easily gone against him. On the other side, you had Alex Pereira with a 6-1 record that included three carefully selected opponents in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Pereira had beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing, including once by knockout. Because the chances of Adesanya utilizing grappling against Pereira were considered to be low, it was an exciting contest on paper. It certainly delivered. Pereira enjoyed success in the standup and appeared to win Round 2, but Adesanya’s use of the clinch and even his wrestling seemed to give “The Last Stylebender” a clear advantage on the scorecards heading into the final stanza. While Adesanya looked to be the fresher of the two fighters, Pereira trapped him along the fence and unleashed a barrage of punches that resulted in a standing technical knockout. The middleweight title changed hands courtesy of a sensational, clutch fifth-round stoppage.

In the co-main event, Carla Esparza started her second reign as strawweight champion by putting the 115-pound belt on the line against Weili Zhang, another former titleholder. Zhang landed at will on the feet and made passes at a crucifix whenever Esparza decided to shoot for takedowns. Those efforts bore fruit in the second round, where Zhang submitted the “Cookie Monster” with a modified rear-naked choke from the rear crucifix position.

Among the other matchups, a lightweight showcase between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler stood out. Theirs was an amazing back-and-forth war. Chandler dominated much of the first round before nearly being knocked out at the end of the period. He brutalized Poirier with ground-and-pound in the second before succumbing to an accumulation of damage and a rear-naked choke in the third.

In the aftermath of UFC 281 “Adesanya vs. Pereira,” here are three matches that ought to be made:

Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira: Adesanya had largely cleaned out the division, and Pereira would likely be in real jeopardy against a true grappler, given that “The Last Stylebender” successfully outwrestled and controlled him during parts of their main event. As such, an immediate rematch is the only logical choice. Theirs was an entertaining fight—not always true in bouts involving Adesanya—and the fact that the longtime champion was clearly winning up until Pereira’s late heroics makes a rematch even more of a no-brainer.

Weili Zhang vs. Amanda Lemos: After Lemos’ technical knockout of Marina Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 214 on Nov. 5, this is a natural matchup. It would likely provide plenty of excitement, too, as Zhang and Lemos are highly aggressive finishers who are dangerous in both standup and grappling exchanges. The only other notable contender out there is Rose Namajunas, who has beaten Zhang twice. However, it would be nice to see “Thug Rose” prove herself against another ranked opponent before she secures a trilogy fight with Zhang.

Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje: Their first fight was exhilarating—Poirier beat Gaethje at UFC on Fox 29 in an all-time classic in 2018—so why not give fans the long-awaited sequel? It is practically guaranteed to provide thrills, and even without a title on the line, it could serve as worthy headliner on virtually any card. It makes even more sense when considering that reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has already been booked for his first title defense opposite Alexander Volkanovski in February. The Poirier-Gaethje winner would potentially be next in line for whoever emerges from Makhachev-Volkanovski.