Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira betting odds: Who is the current favorite for UFC 281 main event?

Israel Adesanya is favored by the bookmakers to beat longtime rival Alex Pereira in the UFC 281 main event. The card will take place on November 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. During their time at Glory Kickboxing, the pair fought twice. The Brazilian won the first fight via decision and knocked the New Zealand native out cold in the second.

Despite having two wins over Adesanya, 'Poatan' is a betting underdog going into this fight. As per FanDuel Sportsbook, Israel Adesanya is a -166 favorite to win the fight, while the two-division Glory Kickboxing champion comes in as the +140 underdog.

For 'The Last Stylebender', this fight is a chance to avenge his two previous losses to 'Poatan'. Meanwhile, Alex Pereira will want to continue his dominant run of form against the middleweight champion.

In the co-main event of the pay-per-view, women's strawweight champion Carla Esparza defends her title against Zhang Weili. Also on the main card is a lightweight fight between former interim champion Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler.

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Israel Adesanya says the "element of fear" is exciting in his upcoming fight against Alex Pereira

Israel Adesanya has been criticized for his recent title fights against Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier. Fans have labeled the bouts boring and have accused the champion of playing it safe. 'The Last Stylebender' has claimed that his fight against Alex Pereira will not be the same and that excites him.

During a recent appearance on BS w/ Jake Paul, he stated:

"No matter what you do in life, there's always the element of fear, and a lot of people fold under that pressure, and this for me, this is why I thrive... The last few fights for me, I knew I was going to sass these guys, I knew I was gonna waste them... He's [Alex Pereira] not gonna try and survive, he's gonna try and come forward and take me out. That's what excites me, that's what I thrive in. I need that pressure, especially under the big lights, MSG, the whole world watching."

Take a look at a clip from the show:

Israel Adesanya is confident that he can overcome the power and pressure of 'Poatan' in the octagon, something he has failed to do twice in the kickboxing ring. Meanwhile, Pereira is also confident he will secure a knockout win over the New Zealand native. This fight promises to be an all-out brawl.

Take a look at the entire video below: