UFC 281 Best Bets

In a night expected to be filled with nonstop action, UFC 281 is finally here. With two World Title fights as well as plenty of bad blood ready to be settled, tonight’s fights are going to be electric from start to finish. Featuring some of the biggest names in Mixed Martial Arts, the lights will shine down on the sports biggest stars under the roof of the worlds most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.

The action of tonight’s bouts seemingly can’t get any better, but you can take the excitement to a whole new level by placing a bet on UFC 281. At Canadian Sports Betting, we’ve got all the best bets and expert analysis on tonight’s matchups, so you can score a knockout against the oddsmakers and take home a championship sized payday when all is said and done.

If you are interested in placing a bet on UFC 281 but aren’t sure where to get started, head to our top online sportsbooks page and find the perfect UFC betting site available in your region. Each of our featured online betting sites are accompanied by in-depth sportsbook reviews so you can find the right fit for your sports betting needs.

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Dan Hooker Moneyline (-145)

Kicking off the main card, we are instore for some fireworks as Dan “Hangman” Hooker faces a budding star in the fight game, Claudio “Prince of Peru” Puelles. In a bout that is set to showcase a clash of styles, we are going to ride with the veteran hands of Hangman Hooker.

While his last two bouts haven’t ended in his favour, Hooker is in a great spot to dig himself out of his current hole and get back into the win column against Puelles. Hooker finds himself in a great situation to defeat Puelles as the young Peruvian fighter will struggle to find ways to takedown the Kiwi striker.

Puelles relies on his submission game to score victories over his opponents, finishing his last two fights on the ground via kneebar. While he’s dangerous on the mat, he will need to find a way to get the fight there if he has any chance of beating Hooker.

Hooker is far too dangerous to shoot on, with heavy hands and a quick striking ability, Hooker can catch his opponents upon entry and capitalize afterwards. Puelles has never faced a striker of Hookers magnitude and will be set for his first true test in the UFC.

Look for Hooker to use his veteran status to outclass Puelles and dictate the tempo of the dance from start to finish, landing several big blows and combos against the inferior striker. Back Hooker to claim the victory by any method against Puelles by betting the moneyline in what should be a great opening bout to the card.

Chris Gutierrez to Win by Decision (+165)

In what will be the last walk to the octagon for a future UFC Hall of Famer, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar is set to face Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez in what is going to be a great back-and-forth bout.

Gutierrez is the more dangerous fighter all-around entering this bout, with a distinct size advantage to go along with superior striking ability. Edgar is definitely the better wrestler but after being finished by knockout in dramatic fashion in his last two fights, look for the former-World Champion to take a safe approach to this fight.

Always chasing after a new addition to the highlight reel, Gutierrez is going to try and put Edgar on his heels cutting off angles and controlling the octagon. Gutierrez is a spectacular talent and will be in for the biggest fight of his career thus far. If he does become the man to retire Edgar, this will be a major accomplishment to add to his resume.

Back Gutierrez to back down Edgar, landing several slick combinations over the course of the 15-minute bout, taking the fight to the judges scorecard and bringing home the decision victory over the UFC legend.

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Dustin Poirier VS Michael Chandler: Over 1.5 Rounds (-135)

The stage is set for arguably the most anticipated fight of the night, as two of the UFCs most dangerous strikers enter the octagon in what could quickly develop into a bloodbath when Dustin “the Diamond” Poirier goes toe-to-toe with “Iron” Michael Chandler.

A potential fight of the night, both of these fighters have elite finishing credentials and the winner of this bout may find themselves right back within World Title contention. With the stakes at an all-time high for each competitor, this one is set to be chalk-full of highlights.

Set to be nonstop action from beginning to end, Poirier and Chandler will both be chasing the finish in this bout. Both fighters have proven themselves as dangerous finishers, but look for both combatants to escape the first two rounds of the fight.

In Chandlers four UFC bouts, only one fight has finished within the first round, that coming after his knockout of Dan Hooker in his debut with the organization. On the other side of this fight, aside from a Connor McGregor ankle break, Dustin Poirier hasn’t finished an opponent inside of the opening five-minutes of a fight since 2016 when he finished Bobby Green.

Look for both iron-jawed fighters to slug it out in this matchup, and while it may not go the distance, the Over 1.5 rounds is a great bet to make on Poirier VS Chandler.

Weili Zhang to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (+120)

After UFC fans were forced to witness what could be one of the worst World Title fights in the company’s history, we should be instore for a much more engaging bout as Weili Zhang looks to reclaim the Women’s Strawweight title from current champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza.

While you may not know it if you only saw her last bout against Rose Namajunas, Carla Esparza can be a dangerous fighter. One of the best wrestlers in her division, the two-time champion Esparza is capable of controlling bouts on the ground and finishing her opponents with ground and pound or by submission.

Esparza isn’t to be taken lightly, but her opponent is on another level. Weili Zhang is possibly the most well-rounded fighter in the division with finishing ability in spades. Zhang has several highlight reel finishes on her resume including her insane spinning backfist knockout of Joanna Jędrzejczyk in her last outing. Zhang can finish fights on her feet or on the ground, truly the total package in the fight game.

Zhang may be superior to Esparza in almost every way, giving her an advantage at all levels of this bout. Look for Zhang to put her foot on the gas out of the gates, looking to land heavy strikes on the champ, and finish the fight early.

Look for Zhang to go for the kill, reclaiming her title and scoring a knockout victory over Esparza.

Alex Pereira Moneyline (+175)

In the main event of the evening, all the speculation goes out the window as Middleweight champion, Israel “Stylebender” Adesanya looks to find redemption against his longtime adversary, Alex “Poatan” Pereira. While Adesanya may only have a single loss in his MMA career, he has fallen to his incoming challenger twice in kickboxing, once by decision, and once by knockout.

With no wrestling to be expected between these two decorated strikers, we will finally get to see who is the most dangerous man at 185lbs on the UFC roster. Adesanya has been a dominant champion in his division, clearing house and cruising from win to win. Facing criticism for his past performances even in victory, don’t expect Adesanya to sit back and wait for openings against a fighter with one-punch knockout power.

Pereira enters this championship bout 3-0 in the UFC, two of these wins by knockout. He’s a precise and dangerous striker with phenomenal quickness, able to shut his opponents lights out at any second, something Adesanya knows all too well.

Look for Pereira to force Adesanya into a dogfight where we will get to settle who is the superior fighter once and for all. In the main event of UFC 281, we are riding with the challenger and underdog Pereira to once again slip his iconic left hook to help lead him to UFC gold and towards a massive win on your bet slip backing the Brazilian brawler Pereira.

UFC 281 Prelim Parlay

Looking to get in on more than just the main card? We’ve got you covered with a parlay on three of the biggest fights coming from the UFC 281 Prelims. There are several intense matchups ready to go down before the main card kicks off, so don’t miss out on even a second of the action and place a parlay wager on the UFC 281 prelims.

• Karolina Kowalkiewicz Moneyline
• Andre Petroski Moneyline
• Dominick Reyes Moneyline

Total Odds: (+320)