UFC 271: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya are set to compete for the middleweight title once more at UFC 271. 

This time, the roles will be reversed from their first fight in 2019, when Whittaker was the champion and Adesanya the challenger. At the time, Adesanya was the ascending interim champion looking to establish himself as the premier middleweight in the sport. 

He has done that now. A failed attempt to grab the light heavyweight belt has sent him back to his more comfortable division, but he is still the top dog among 185ers. 

The two might want to get their warm-ups started early. The co-main event has the look of a bout that won't last long, with Derrick Lewis set to meet Tai Tuivasa in a heavyweight encounter between two knockout artists. 

Here's a look at the whole card along with some predictions for the biggest fights.  

Main Card (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)

• Israel Adesanya (c) (-280, bet $280 to win $100) vs. Robert Whittaker (+225, bet $100 to win $225): Middleweight Championship
• Derrick Lewis (-170) vs. Tai Tuivasa (+150)
• Jared Cannonier (-160) vs. Derek Brunson (+140)
• Bobby Green (-145) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (+125)
• Alexander Hernandez (+140) vs. Renato Moicano (-160)

Prelims (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+)

• Andrei Arlovski (-150) vs. Jared Vanderaa (+130)
• Kyler Phillips (-450) vs. Marcelo Rojo (+340)
• Roxanne Modafferi (+310) vs. Casey O'Neill (-410)
• Carlos Ulberg (-265) vs. Fabio Cherant (+215)

Early Prelims (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

• Leomana Martinez vs. Ronnie Lawrence
• A.J. Dobson (-115) vs. Jacob Malkoun (-105)
• Douglas Silva de Andrade (+175) vs. Andrey Morozov (-210)
• Jeremiah Wells (-240) vs. Mike Mathetha (+195)
• William Knight (+145) vs. Maxim Grishin (-165)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Israel Adesanya comes into the fight as a fairly large favorite at nearly 1-3 odds. It makes sense given the result of his first fight with Whittaker. He finished Bobby Knuckles in the second round without much trouble. 

However, this could be a prime upset spot for a few reasons. 

For one, there are several reasons Whittaker wasn't at his best on that night. He had been out of the Octagon for more than a year and was coming off an emergency hernia surgery that canceled a scheduled bout with Kelvin Gastelum. 

That brings us to another reason this fight could spell trouble for the champion. Gastelum is the closest analog for what Whittaker brings to the table. He's a well-rounded wrestler with good striking, and the challenger gave The Last Stylebender a good fight.

It was tied on three judges' scorecards, 38-38, before Adesanya won the final round 10-8. 

Gastelum laid the groundwork for what it will take to beat Adesanya at middleweight. Whittaker at his best is capable of pulling off that game plan with better efficacy. 

Prediction: Whittaker via decision

Derrick Lewis gets the opportunity to fight in front of his hometown Houston crowd once again. It didn't go so well last time at the Toyota Center, as Ciryl Gane gave him a one-sided beating for the interim title. 

He'll be looking to put in a much better performance against Tai Tuivasa, and the matchup is much better suited for him to do so. 

Tuivasa's fighting style is the kind Lewis loves. The Australian is going to stand in front of the 37-year-old, and the two are going to throw bombs until someone goes down. 

The only interesting factor that could change things is the prospect of Lewis choosing to wrestle. He's known for his striking, but compared to Tuivasa, he's a good enough wrestler to make his path to victory a little safer. 

Even if that's his game plan, it's hard to see him sticking with it. These are two brawlers at heart, and Lewis' extensive history of knockouts is hard to bet against here. 

Prediction: Lewis via first-round TKO

Before Whittaker and Adesanya fight for the middleweight belt, another fight will take place that could have an impact on who the next challenger for the title will be. 

Both Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier would have their title hopes boosted with a win over the other at UFC 271. It's a classic grappler vs. striker matchup against two highly ranked contenders. 

Burnson has never had a title fight, but he's on a five-fight win streak, including a submission win over Darren Till last time out. 

Cannonier has never fought for a title, either. But he's won four of his last five in the division, with the lone loss coming against Whittaker. 

The pivotal aspect of the fight will be Cannonier's takedown defense. He isn't the best at defending takedowns. David Branch, Jan Blachowicz and Ion Cutelaba are among those who have taken him down multiple times in a fight. 

At the same time, Brunson has struggled with heavy-handed strikers in the past. He's been knocked out five times in his career, and former-heavyweight Cannonier could deliver another. 

Prediction: Cannonier via third-round TKO

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