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          UFC 281: Stars weigh in on Poirier-Chandler and Adesanya-Pereira

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          Flashback: Alex Pereira beats Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 to claim middleweight gold (1:58)

          Alex Pereira defeats Israel Adesanya for the third time in their fighting career, the first in the UFC, to become the new middleweight champion. (1:58)

          • ESPN staffNov 13, 2022, 01:27 AM ET

          UFC 281 lived up to the hype before either title fight began.

          The top-10 lightweight contest between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler was a back-and-forth affair for the first two rounds, but "The Diamond" ended the third round with a rear naked choke that made "Iron Mike" tap.

          It was Poirier's first submission win since 2012 and the only submission loss of Chandler's career.

          With the win, Poirier is tied with Charles Oliveira for the fourth most victories in UFC history with 21.

          Several UFC stars weighed in on the fight.

          The middleweight championship between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira was another action-packed matchup.

          After a strong second round from Pereira, Adesanya appeared to be in control of the fight, but appearances can be deceiving. Pereira landed a flurry of blows in the fifth round that prompted referee Marc Goddard to end the fight with Adesanya's defeat via TKO.

          Stars weighed in on the fight and congratulated Pereira, the new middleweight champion.