UFC 271 Main Card Preview: Adesanya vs. Whittaker PPV
UFC 271 takes place tonight with 15 fights ready for the fans in Houston, Texas, and for all those watching around the world.
The main event of the night is a UFC Middleweight Championship rematch between Israel Adesanya and former champion Robert Whittaker. In the co-main event, Derrick Lewis is set to take on Tai Tuivasa in a heavyweight matchup.
Adesanya vs. Whittaker, Lewis vs. Tuivasa, and all other UFC 271 main card fights will air only on
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UFC 271 Preview
Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker
Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker first fought in October 2019, and it was Adesanya who knocked out the then-champion with a counter left hook in the second round. Adesanya’s since defended his title three times and is establishing himself as an all-time middleweight great after beating Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, and then Marvin Vettori for the second time.
Whittaker, on the other hand, has worked his way back up to a title shot after three consecutive wins in the division as well. The former champion has defeated Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier, and Darren Till in a run that has established him and Adesanya as the clear top two fighters in the middleweight division and by a large margin.
Read: Adesanya vs. Whittaker staff predictions
Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa
Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa is the fight for fight fans at UFC 271. Lewis, ranked #3, returns after beating Chris Daukaus in December. After losing to Ciryl Gane in August last year, Lewis slipped out of title contention and has now been asked to secure more wins to get that next shot at heavyweight gold. A win against Tai Tuivasa (#11) helps keep him in the running.
For Tuivasa, it’s a well-deserved step up in competition after an impressive four-fight win streak. Entering with wins against Augusto Sakai, Greg Hardy, Harry Hunsucker, and Stefan Struve, he’s now looking to claim a big win in the UFC to help him rise in the rankings.
Read:Â Lewis vs. Tuivasa staff predictions
Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson
Before Adesanya and Whittaker clash in the main event, an important middleweight bout between Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson may be what determines who is next in line for a title shot.
The new-look Brunson has won his last five bouts, including recent wins against Darren Till and Kevin Holland in 2021. Earlier, Brunson defeated Edmen Shahbazyan, Ian Heinisch, and Elias Theodorou to get back on track after losing to Adesanya in 2018.
Similarly, Cannonier has returned to winning ways after losing to one of the fighters in tonight’s main event. Cannonier was defeated by Whittaker in October 2020 and then managed a victory against Kelvin Gastelum in August last year to ensure he stays near the top of the middleweight rankings.
Read:Â Cannonier vs. Brunson staff predictions
UFC 271 Fight Card
Main Card – 10:00 pm ET / 7:00 pm PT on ESPN+ PPV
- Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker
- Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa
- Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson
- Alexander Hernandez vs. Renato Moicano
- Bobby Green vs. Nasrat Haqparast
Prelims – 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT on ESPN+
- Andrei Arlovski vs. Jared Vanderaa
- Roxanne Modafferi vs. Casey O’Neill
- Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell
- William Knight vs. Maxim Grishin
- Kyler Phillips vs. Marcelo Rojo
Early Prelims – 6:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm PT on ESPN+
- Leomana Martinez vs. Ronnie Lawrence
- Carlos Ulberg vs. Fabio Cherant
- AJ Dobson vs. Jacob Malkoun
- Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Sergey Morozov
- Jeremiah Wells vs. Mike Mathetha