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UFC 271: Israel Adesanya vs Robert Whittaker Main Event – Prediction and Analysis

Published 02/12/2022, 12:49 PM EST

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Robert Whittaker is headed for a rematch against his nemesis, Israel Adesanya, at the second UFC pay-per-view event of 2022. The fight card will take place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

‘The Reaper’ has the perfect opportunity for revenge against the man who beat him in 2019. However, it won’t be an easy fight as ‘The Last Stylebender’ has only become better since their clash.

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Another all-important match that will go down on Sunday is the heavyweight rumble between Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis. Lewis, who is amongst the highest ranked in the division, is pitted against Tuivasa, who finds himself in the lower berth of the ranking charts.

UFC 271: Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker- Analysis

‘The Reaper’ Robert Whittaker (24-5) has proved time and again why he is the #1 contender in the middleweight division. Since his title loss to Adesanya, Whittaker has been unbeaten in the division and has defeated Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier and Darren Till consecutively.

Although Whittaker has taken Decision wins in all matches, he sure does have the power to knock his opponents down. However, that won’t be his plan against master striker Adesanya.

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Adesanya, on the other hand, has also continued his unbeaten run in the middleweight division since he became the champion. After beating Whittaker at UFC 243, Adesanya went on to conquer Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa (via a knockout), and Marvin Vettori. Although he lost to Blachowicz, because of the Pole’s superior grappling skills, it was mostly the sheer size difference that decided the match.

Hence, Adesanya will still overcome Whittaker in the striking department, and grappling won’t be the center of the game, as both Whittaker and Adesanya have identical builds compared to Blachowicz.

PREDICTION- Israel Adesanya to win by unanimous decision.

UFC 271: Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa- Analysis

Derrick Lewis, being the king of knockouts at the UFC, has done more in the heavyweight division than 28-year-old Tai Tuivasa can fathom at the moment.

via Imago

‘The Black Beast’ made it clear that he will go for the head when given the chance at the co-main event of UFC 271. Lewis is coming off a knockout win over promising heavyweight prospect Chris Daukaus. Although everyone thought the match would be even, Lewis made quick work of Daukaus at the UFC Fight Night main event in December 2021.

Tuivasa, on the flip side, changed his fortunes after losing three straight in the UFC and then winning four consecutive fights. His last fight was against Augusto Sakai, of whom he made quick work in the first round. Although ‘BamBam’ is number #11 on the rankings, he does have the power to knock heavyweights out.

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WATCH THIS STORY- Five Times Israel Adesanya Obliterated His Opponents Inside The UFC Octagon

PREDICTION- Derrick Lewis wins via first-round knockout.

 

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Written by:

Aashish Kumar

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Aashish Kumar is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Journalism & Mass Communication, this Israel Adesanya fan has interned at reputed media houses and gained valuable reporting experience. Building on that experience, Aashish will look to tap into his love for combat sports and let fans benefit from his passion and journalistic expertise.
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