Reminder: We will deliver live round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 281’s entire five-fight pay-per-view (PPV) main card RIGHT HERE, beginning at 10 p.m. ET.
The latest Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view (PPV) offering hits the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., TONIGHT (Sat., Nov. 12, 2022), bringing two championship clashes to “The Big Apple.” In UFC 281’s PPV main event, Middleweight roost-ruler, Israel Adesanya, will look to school former kickboxing rival — and No. 5-seeded contender — Alex Pereira in the finer points of mixed martial arts (MMA). In the co-feature, women’s Strawweight queenpin, Carla Esparza, will attempt to defend her newly won title for the first time against former champion and No. 2-ranked contender crusher, Zhang Weili. UFC 281’s jam-packed card — perhaps the most loaded PPV line up of the year — will also showcase a ridiculous 155-pound showdown between all-action division standouts, Dustin Poirier (No. 2) and Michael Chandler (No. 5), both of who are looking to punch their respective tickets to a future Lightweight title tilt.
UFC 281 is another fantastic championship double-dip!
Before that action begins at 10 p.m. ET later this evening, though, MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 281 “Prelims” undercard below, beginning with the first fight at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. We will then cover UFC 281’s PPV main card in a separate thread right here, beginning at 10 p.m. ET.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Adesanya vs. Pereira.” Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC 281 “Prelims” undercard results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)
UFC 281 ESPN+ PPV QUICK RESULTS:
UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira
UFC Strawweight champion Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili
Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler
Frankie Edgar vs. Chris Gutierrez
Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles
UFC 281 ‘PRELIMS’ QUICK RESULTS:
Brad Riddell vs. Renato Moicano — Moicano def. Riddell by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:20 of Round One
Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann — Spann def. Reyes by KO (punch) at 1:20 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann — Blanchfield def. McCann by submission (kimura) at 3:37 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
Andre Petroski vs. Wellington Turman — Petroski def. Turman by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Matt Frevola vs. Ottman Azaitar — Frevola def. Azaitar by KO (punches) at 2:30 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Silvana Gomez — Kowalkiewicz def. Gomez by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Michael Trizano vs. Seungwoo Choi — Trizano def. Choi by TKO (punches) at 4:51 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
Julio Arce vs. Montel Jackson — Jackson def. Arce by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Carlos Ulberg vs. Nicolae Negumereanu — Ulberg def. Negumereanu by KO (punches) at 3:44 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
UFC 281 ‘PRELIMS’ PLAY-BY-PLAY RESULTS:
155 lbs.: Brad Riddell vs. Renato Moicano
Round one: Moicano advancing to start. Solid jab, intercepting knee afterwards. Riddell low kick. Falling short with his punches. Slick head kick from Moicano and a follow-up combo a minute in. Riddell hauls him to the fence. Left hook after they separate. He’s cut under the right eye. Low kicks. Sharp jab by Moicano. Two minutes in. Riddell body kick as both swing big. Left hook met by a counter right. Another stiff jab by Moicano. Roddell fires a cross counter and denies a takedown, only for Moicano to scramble onto his back. Two minutes to go.
Moicano squeezing palm to palm. He adjusts it to a bicep grip and that’s enough to force a tap.
Final result: Moicano def. Riddell by submission (rear naked choke)
205 lbs.: Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann
Round one: Body kick from Reyes to open things. Spann clips him with a right hand, then gets clipped with a left in return. He catches Reyes throwing and sprawls when he tries to shoot, but can’t wrap up the front choke. One minute in. Reyes body kick. Spann countering most of these with 1-2s. Reyes tries to step in with a lead left and a jab knocks him completely unconscious.
Final result: Spann def. Reyes by KO (punch)
125 lbs.: Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann
Round one: McCann catches a body kick and lands an overhand right. Counter right by Blanchfield, who eats body shots. 1-1-2. Nice dounle-leg puts her on top in side control. One minute in. Looking for the crucifix, got it. McCann trying to buck her way out as Blanchfield feeds her punch after punch. Elbows as well. Two minutes in. McCann briefly escapes, but Blanchfield puts her right back in it. More elbows piling up. Blanchfield switches to a kimura and it’s deep. Two minutes to go.
McCann manages to stop Blanchfield from stepping over her head for a fight-ending crank, but gets caught back in the crucifix. Blanchfield goes through the same kimura sequence and this time she manages to step over and force the tap.
Final result: Blanchfield def. McCann by submission (kimura)
185 lbs.: Andre Petroski vs. Wellington Turman
Round one: Petroski jab, Turman low kick to start. Heavy right hand lands for Turman, who eats a jab in return. They trade in the center. Petroski low kick, Turman front kick to the body. One minute in. Turman head kick just misses, Petroski right cross does not. Heavy left hand soon after. Counters from Turman, who misses with a knee. Low kick, 2-3, low kick. Turman getting the better of these exchanges right now. 2-1 from Petroski. Two minutes in. Another good straight left. Body kick. Petroski shoots, transitions from single to double, then dumps Turman to his seat against the fence. Turman gets to his knees and works his way up. Two minutes to go.
Petroski tries an elbow against the fence. Trading knees downstairs before they separate. Low kick to head kick from Turman. Hard combination lands for Petroski. Turman to the body. Bouncing hard shots off each other’s heads. Nice left by Turman with a minute to go. Low kicks working for him. He tries a flying knee. Good combination. They trade lefts. Petroski shoots and puts him on the fence, then runs the pipe for a single-leg. Elbows from Turman in return. 10-9 Turman.
Round two: Petroski aggressive early. Good body kick. Turman goes back to the leg kicks. Front kick downstairs met by a 1-2. Petroski shoots behind a left hand and shows some nice defense to avoid a guillotine on the way down. One minute in. Turman regains guard. He attempts to stand and Petroski jumps on his back, briefly attempting a neck crank before settling back in half guard. Elbow on the way up. Two minutes in. Turman to the body, uses a guillotine to counter a level change into top position. Petroski muscles his way to his feet, eats a knee. Turman working hard to wrench him down, does so, can’t keep him there. Two minutes to go.
Turman holding onto a rear body lock. He lifts, can’t complete it. Petroski turns to face him and nearly gets a hammerlock on the way down before settling in mount with a minute to go. Back to half guard. Heavy shoulder pressure. Solid elbows at the bell. 10-9 Petroski.
Round three: ESPN+ crashes on me, so we begin 30 seconds in with Petroski slamming Turman to the mat. He wraps up a murderous guillotine in the scramble, and while he can’t finish it, he takes mount a minute in. Good riding from Petroski as Turman tries to get a scramble going. Half guard. Two minutes in. Turman regains guard. Good right hand by Petroski. Two minutes to go.
Turman working his way up, gets slammed back down. Petroski has an arm pinned as he looks for the back. Short right hands under the armpit. One minute to go. Turman still trying to work his way up, can’t separate from Petroski. Another mat return. Turman looks for a kneebar, no dice. Petroski ends the round punching. 10-9 Petroski.
Final result: Petroski def. Turman by unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Matt Frevola vs. Ottman Azaitar
Round one: Frevola hurling kicks to start. Jab from Azaitar as he circles. One minute in. Both swing hard near the fence. Frevola misses another wheel kick. Azaitar teep. Lead right, switch-step right falls short. He tries an elbow, eats a looping right as they trade two minutes in. Good left hook appears to rattle Frevola. Body kick and jab reset things for “Steamrolla.” Azaitar attempts another blitz, and as Frevola’s back hits the fence, he knocks Azaitar into next week with a vicious left hook. “Bulldozer” flops bonelessly to the mat, where Frevola slams home two more shots before the ref pulls him away.
Final result: Frevola def. Azaitar by KO (punches)
115 lbs.: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Silvana Gomez
Round one: Gomez circling and firing jabs. Right hand falls short. Body shot. Kowalkiewicz steadily advancing. Kowalkiewicz catches a low kick and jumps onto Gomez’s back. One minute in. Body triangle for Kowalkiewicz. Gomez fighting the hands. Two minutes in. Gomez tries to roll, can’t improve position. She tries to stand and Kowalkiewicz makes a good RNC attempt, still can’t finish it. Two minutes to go.
Kowalkiewicz still looking for the choke. Short right hands with a minute to go. Gomez gets to a knee. Now a kimura grip and she uses it to stand. Jab from Kowalkiewicz. 10-9 Kowalkiewicz, not enough damage for the 10-8.
Round two: Kowalkiewicz aggressive early. Gomez’s right hands falling short. Both sending out punching volleys. One minute in. Kowalkiewicz blitzes, can’t secure a clinch. Lots of punching coming out but nothing landing well. Two minutes in. Gomez missing all of her 1-2s. There’s an overhand right from her. Kowalkiewicz comes back with jabs. Gomez to the body. Solid jabs. Jab exchange, then a heavier trade. Two minutes to go.
1-2-1 by Gomez. Kowalkiewicz combo, nice 1-2 behind it. Counter right by Gomez. Trading jabs, Gomez 1-2. One minute to go. 1-2 again from Gomez, who’s seemingly gotten control of the standup. Good jab. Kowalkiewicz tries to spin, lands a right cross. Blitz from Kowalkiewicz and a knee inside. 10-9 Gomez.
Round three: Both throwing heat to start. Solid right hands from Kowalkiewicz. Gomez to the body. Hard right hand inside, eats a stiff jab. One minute in. Heavy Gomez 1-2 but Kowalkiewicz is landing some good jabs. Gomez to the body. Kowalkiewicz combo, Gomez counter right that lands flush. Kowalkiewicz lands a leg kick. 1-2. Two minutes in. They trade in the center. Kowalkiewicz fakes a shot and lands a right hand. Gomez to the body. Counter right. Kowalkiewicz low kicks. Hard right hand from Gomez to answer a jab. Two minutes to go.
Kowalkiewicz gets the better of the next couple exchanges. 1-2 by Gomez, jab exchange. Kowalkiewicz tries a spinning back kick. More body work by Gomez met by a knee downstairs. Kowalkiewicz blitzes and knocks Gomez over with a jab, but can’t latch onto her back with a minute to go. Gomez reverses on the fence. Knee downstairs. They separate. Kowalkiewicz blitzes, lands knees. Good jab. Gomez counter right. 1-2, low kick to end things. Very close. 10-9 Gomez?
Final result: Kowalkiewicz def. Gomez by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Michael Trizano vs. Seungwoo Choi
Round one: Trizano flicks a few jabs, only for both men to drop each other with simultaneous left hooks. They get to their feet and get back to hurling heat at each other. Heavy hook from Choi. Continuing to trade. Both land low kicks a minute in. Choi overextends on a hook and gets floored by a counter. Trizano blasts him with hammerfists, settles for a knee as Choi stands. Choi low kick. Two minutes in. Head kick glances off. Lead hook by Choi, jab from Trizano in return. Low-high 3-2 lands well for Choi. Heavy exchange. Quick Trizano jab, blocks a head kick in return and comes back with another jab. Nasty 1-2. Two minutes to go.
Big left hook from Choi and Trizano’s hurt again. Choi straight-up sprints after him, throwing heat with both hands, before taking him down against the fence. Good elbow on the exit. Trizano jab, Choi cross. Another wide hook from Choi. One minute to go. Choi lead right, bigger right by Trizano. Trizano teep, avoids a head kick. Choi fires another left hook and this time Trizano has the timing down, blasting him with a vicious check hook that sends Choi crashing to the mat. A few more shots and this one’s over.
Final result: Trizano def. Choi by TKO (punches)
135 lbs.: Julio Arce vs. Montel Jackson
Round one: Early shot from Jackson takes Arce to the fence. Knees to the body a minute in. Arce absorbs one to the nuts, but apparently his cup is plenty sturdy. Jackson still looking to drag him down, maintaining control. Two minutes in. Ref splits them up. Two minutes to go.
Arce flicks out some kicks. Jabs fall short. Jackson straight left falls short, Arce body shot does not. Jab exchange. Jackson 1-2 misses, combo from Arce in return with a minute to go. Lead right hook by Jackson. Low kick. Arce pressuring, attempts a level change. Nice trip into side control. 10-9 Arce.
Round two: Both men flashing the jab. Low kick from Jackson. Arce lead left. Jackson tries a combo. 2-1 blocked. One minute in. More Jackson low kicks. Trading jabs. Right hook from Jackson, who catches a kick but can’t counter. Solid right hook two minutes in. Neither landing clean as they exchange. Counter jab and 2-1 by Jackson. Both miss on big lefts. Right hand from Jackson, knee blocked with two minutes to go.
Arce sneaks a right hook around the guard. Jackson lands a 1-2 and right hook. Arce jab, continuing to push forward. Arce lands a body shot, gets hauled to the fence. One minute to go. Rear body lock for Jackson. Trying to get a hook in or wrench Arce down, settles for kneeing the thigh. Arce punches, Jackson knee. 10-9 Jackson.
Round three: Arce pushing forward hard. Jackson lands a nice combination, then as Arce looks to reset, Jackson drops him with a stiff jab. Heavy shots from guard, but Arce seems to have gotten his wits back and is throwing up triangles. One minute in. Arce super active off his back, eats a hammerfist. Jackson trying to stack him. Two minutes in. Arce sits up, then gets to his feet. Two minutes to go.
Lots of feints from both men. Firing jabs. Arce slips throwing a three-piece. Jackson check hook with a minute to go. Stiff jab. 1-2. Arce again falls short with a combo. There’s a body shot for him but he gets clinched. Separation. Jackson 1-2, avoids a Hail Mary overhand. 10-9 Jackson.
Final result: Jackson def. Arce by unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Carlos Ulberg vs. Nicolae Negumereanu
Round one: Both prod with kicks early on. Solid low kick from Ulberg. A minute in, no clean connections besides that. Heavy low kick by Ulberg. Negumereanu mocking him for circling away. Stiff jabs land for Ulberg. A third calf kick and Negumereanu is not liking these two minutes in. Big exchange, neither connects. Negumereanu slips trying a jumping knee. Ulberg whiffs on a check hook as Negumereanu advances. Two minutes to go.
Double jab from Ulberg. He’s running circles around Negumereanu. Ulberg cracks Negumereanu with a jab, then immediately follows with a left hook that scrambles “Nicu’s” circuits. A vicious flurry sends Negumereanu from shaky to unconscious with the quickness.
Final result: Ulberg def. Negumereanu by KO (punches)
Remember: MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 281’s entire five-fight PPV main card RIGHT HERE, beginning at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.