UFC 271: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 Odds, Predictions and Pre-Weigh-In Hype

Robert Whittaker seeks revenge against Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 271 from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, on Saturday. 

The first fight between the two in October 2019 saw The Last Stylebender win the middleweight crown. He took out Whittaker via second-round knockout to unify the interim belt with the real thing. 

Since then, the Antipodean has become the kingpin of the middleweight division. His only loss came against Jan Blachowicz in a fight for the light heavyweight strap. His opportunity to become a two-division champion was denied, but he now gets the chance to further solidify his place in the middleweight division. 

It's a chance at redemption for Whittaker. There were some circumstances that could have impacted his performance in the first fight between the two, but he has since proved to be a top contender with wins over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum. 

It's set up to be an awesome rematch, and the co-main event should be a slugfest when Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa meet in a heavyweight clash that's destined for a finish. 

Here's an early look at the complete card and the latest from what the fighters are saying. 

UFC 271 Fight Card, Odds Schedule—February 12

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Main Card (10 PM ET, ESPN+ PPV)

• Israel Adesanya (c) (-280) vs. Robert Whittaker (+225): Middleweight Championship
• Derrick Lewis (-180) vs. Tai Tuivasa (+155)
• Jared Cannonier (-165) vs. Derek Brunson (+145)
• Kyler Phillips (-410) vs. Marcelo Rojo (+310)
• Bobby Green (-140) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (+120)

Prelims (8 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN+)

• Andrei Arlovski (-145) vs. Jared Vanderaa (+125)
• Alex Perez (-380) vs. Matt Schnell (+290)
• Roxanne Modafferi (+290) vs. Casey O'Neill (-380)
• William Knight (+145) vs. Maxim Grishin (-165)

Early Prelims (6 PM ET, ESPN+)

• Leomana Martinez (+235) vs. Ronnie Lawrence (-300)
• Alexander Hernandez (+140) vs. Renato Moicano (-160)
• Carlos Ulberg (-255) vs. Fabio Cherant (+205)
• A.J. Dobson (-115) vs. Jacob Malkoun (-105)
• Douglas Silva de Andrade (+175) vs. Andrey Morozov (-210)
• Jeremiah Wells (-235) vs. Mike Mathetha (+190)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

'Rob Whittaker 2.0' Ready for Rematch

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As mentioned earlier, there were some factors to consider when evaluating Whittaker's first fight against Adesanya. 

For one, he was coming off more than a year outside of the cage. The 31-year-old hadn't fought since his second clash with Yoel Romero in June 2018, which was a five-round epic that earned Fight of the Night honors at UFC 225. 

He was supposed to fight Kelvin Gastelum in February 2019 but was forced to withdraw due to an abdominal hernia that required emergency surgery. 

Between the tough fights with Romero, the mental wear and tear from holding the belt and recovering from his surgery, Whittaker has been open about his struggle with burnout. It showed up on fight night as he put up little resistance once Adesanya started having success. 

His winning streak since the loss has shown a renewed passion for training and the sport, though.

"It's a new Rob Whittaker, Rob Whittaker 2.0," he told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. "In this fight, I think you're just going to see me. I'll be doing my thing, fighting the way I fight. That's the main thing I want to get across."

Whittaker at his best is a matchup issue for Adesanya. He can mix striking and wrestling well enough to neutralize the excellent striking of the champ. This looks like a tough fight on paper, and it shouldn't be surprising to see it go the distance. 

Prediction: Whittaker via decision

Tuivasa Not Afraid of Lewis's Hometown Advantage

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The main event is a big deal and the crowd is sure to be into it. But there won't be a bigger pop than the one Derrick Lewis gets when he enters the cage on Saturday night. 

The Cypress, Texas native will get the opportunity to fight in front a home crowd for the fourth time in his UFC career. But the record-holder for most knockouts in UFC history didn't fare so well when he last fought in Houston as he was picked apart by Ciryl Gane. 

But Lewis is 2-1 in the city following a knockout victory over Viktor Pesta and a decision win against Ilir Latifi. 

Meanwhile, Tai Tuivasa isn't bothered by the prospect of a hostile crowd when he faces Lewis on Saturday.

"I don't really care," he told reporters. "Once the cage door closes, no one can help you anyway, you know what I mean? I'm going to expect a few boos. Obviously, I'm coming to his hometown, but that's expected."

The affable Australian might be right, but this is still a tough matchup for the 28-year-old. 

Lewis remains one of the most powerful strikers in the sport. Opponents can underestimate him all they want but if they don't have a plan to neutralize his big bombs, they are set up for failure. 

Tuivasa is a brawler himself. He'll be happy to oblige in a slugfest and that's just not a great life choice. 

Prediction: Lewis via first-round TKO

Brunson Plans to Beat Cannonier, Win Belt and Retire

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Derek Brunson isn't a financial planner by trade, but he's got a retirement plan in place. 

The longtime middleweight has been fighting in the UFC since 2012 but has never been given a title shot. With a fight-fight win streak and a bout against a top-ranked name in Jared Cannonier, he believes it's about time. 

"Honestly, I plan on fighting two more times," Brunson told Matthew Wells and Ken Hathaway of MMA Junkie. "I feel like I'm lucky and blessed to fight in the UFC 20 times and I'm super smart. I've got a good brain on my head. So, I don't want to fight until I can't fight no more. ...That's all I'm thinking about right now. Beating Cannonier, beating Izzy, and riding out."

There's nothing wrong with doing a little early leg work on getting a title shot, but the 38-year-old might be putting the cart before the horse here. He faces a dangerous man in Cannonier. 

Eleven of Cannonier's 14 wins have come by submission or knockout in his career. The former heavyweight can hit like one and when you look at his losses, they have only come against elite fighters in the last five years. 

Glover Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz, Dominick Reyes and Robert Whittaker are in that club. Brunson just hasn't proved he's in that tier to this point. 

Prediction: Cannonier via third-round TKO

           

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