MMA
UFC 271: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – preview and betting tips
Israel Adesanya will defend his middleweight title again on Sunday. At UFC 271, he will face Robert Whittaker for the second time in his career, who has a clear-cut tactic for the reigning champion. Will she be successful, or will the favorite Adesanya succeed?
Israel Adesanya will defend his middleweight title again on Sunday. At UFC 271, he will face Robert Whittaker for the second time in his career, who has a clear-cut tactic for the reigning champion. Will she be successful, or will the favorite Adesanya succeed?
UFC 271 may not break records for PPV sales, but it’s still something to look forward to. Especially the last three fights of the main card will offer an interesting spectacle, with Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker providing the highlight of the whole event in their second showdown.
Adesanya will be making his fifth title defence. Whittaker challenged him once in the title match, but failed to win. In their fight, the fighter from Nigeria proved to be on another level. Whittaker was knocked out in the second round and it was all over.
The reigning middleweight champion appears to be unbeatable. He suffered his only defeat in MMA when he attempted to win the welterweight title last March, taking on Jan Blachowicz, who could only beat him on points. Adesanya made up for the weight difference in the bout, which the Pole capitalized on brilliantly when working on the ground.
It is on the ground that Whittaker sees his opponent’s biggest weaknesses, however Blachowicz is stronger and heavier than Whittaker. Of course, Adesanya is still perfecting his ground work, plus he is good at getting up or out of a crisis situation in the event of a takedown.
Adesanya is also a master of keeping his distance, long arms, long legs, great eye. Whittaker may try to take the fight to the ground, but Adesanya will wait it out. Plus, he already knows the Aussie doesn’t have a chin of steel.