UFC 281 video: Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira face off on top of Empire State Building

NEW YORK – The build to Saturday’s UFC 281 headliner between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira added another unique layer with a faceoff between the pair at the Empire State Building.

After engaging in their first fight week staredown at the pre-fight press conference, Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) and Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) took it to the next level Thursday when they traveled to the top of one of Manhattan’s most iconic landmarks and locked eyes.

It was a special scene ahead of the main event clash, which will see Adesanya put middleweight gold on the line against Pereira at Madison Square Garden. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

You can watch their faceoff in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.