UFC 271 Preview

The second UFC PPV event of 2022 sees a Middleweight title rematch take marquee billing. Additionally, two fan-favorite Heavyweight sluggers and a potential number one contender matchup at Middleweight highlight the main card.

Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker

UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya has acquired an incredible cumulative combat sports record thus far in his career. Across MMA, kickboxing, and boxing, Adesanya has amassed 101 victories against just seven defeats. Based on this, it is no surprise that his Middleweight tenure in the UFC has been flawless, having notched a perfect 10-0 UFC record in the weight class. Adesanya’s dominance has seen him capture victories over four of the top five contenders in the division, those being Robert Whittaker, Marvin Vettori, Derek Brunson, and Paulo Costa. Adesanya’s deep background in striking makes him a rare specialist in MMA, with his game being predicated on utilizing his long frame to counter his opponents from range while avoiding lengthy grappling exchanges. Against Whittaker, Adesanya will undoubtedly look to replicate the success he enjoyed against the Australian back in October of 2019 when he KO’d the then-Champion with a devastating counter left hook.

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker initially broke into the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter: Smashes as a Welterweight. After going just 3-2 in that weight class, Whittaker moved up to Middleweight and has enjoyed incredible spoils since doing so. Whittaker has amassed a 12-1 UFC record in the division, with his sole loss being to Adesanya. Since losing his title to Adesanya, Whittaker has taken decision victories over top contenders Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum. Like Adesanya, Whittaker’s success has revolved around his striking prowess. Whittaker has utilized a stinging left hand, hidden head kicks, and blitz attacks to defeat a large portion of his opponents. However, a skillset that only recently became remarkably evident is that of Whittaker’s offensive wrestling. In his last bout against Gastelum, Whittaker showed that he could rag doll a competent wrestler in Gastelum throughout the bout. This attribute may prove to be the difference maker given Adesanya’s struggle with Jan Blachowicz’s top control when he moved up to Light Heavyweight last year.

Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa

Despite losing his second crack at UFC gold last August, Derrick Lewis stormed back in December with a devastating first-round KO of Chris Daukaus. With that knockout, Lewis cemented himself in the record books with the most KO victories in UFC history at 13. Lewis’ KO list includes notable names such as Curtis Blaydes, former Bellator Champion Alexander Volkov, Marcin Tybura, Travis Browne, and Gabriel Gonzaga. Lewis’ gameplan of standing and banging should come as no surprise given his penchant for KO victories. However, Lewis has at times demonstrated an ability to acquire the KO victory from top position with his brutal ground and pound. This ability may prove useful against Tuivasa, who has shown deficiencies when put on his back.

Tai Tuivasa looks to have found a new stride recently, having recovered from three straight defeats to acquire four straight KO victories over Stefan Struve, Harry Hunsucker, Greg Hardy, and Augusto Sakai respectively. Like Lewis, Tuivasa has shown incredible KO ability, with 12 of his 13 career victories coming via strikes. However, there are still question marks surrounding Tuivasa’s cardiovascular ability with his sole finish outside of the first round being just 26 seconds into the second round against Sakai. Against Lewis, Tuivasa will likely look to take him out early as Lewis has himself succumbed to strikes on five occasions throughout his career.

Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson

Jared Cannonier has gone through quite a physical transformation. The third-ranked Middleweight contender debuted in the UFC in 2015 at Heavyweight and then competed at Light Heavyweight between 2016 and 2018. Cannonier’s strength at the higher weight classes has evidently transferred to his Middleweight frame as he has scored victories via strikes in three of his four wins in the weight class. Cannonier’s Middleweight resume stands at 4-1 with victories over former WSOF dual-division champion David Branch, former UFC Middleweight Champion (and arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time) Anderson Silva, and top contenders Jack Hermansson and Kelvin Gastelum. As the only fighter ranked in the top five that has yet to face Adesanya, Cannonier could very well set himself up for a shot at gold with a victory over Brunson. In order to do so, Cannonier will have to utilize his powerful punches while also being cautious with leaving himself exposed for takedowns when he throws leg kicks.

At 38 years of age, Derek Brunson has experienced an extraordinary career resurgence. A UFC veteran of nearly a decade, Brunson has accumulated a 14-5 record in the promotion and is currently riding a five-fight win streak into his bout against Cannonier. Brunson’s current run includes victories over The Ultimate Fighter Nations winner Elias Theodorou, Contender Series alumni Ian Heinisch, Edmen Shahbazyan and Kevin Holland, and former Welterweight title challenger Darren Till. In those victories, Brunson moved away from the frenetic striking style he used during his previous run and instead has returned to his wrestling roots. Brunson’s takedowns on the cage are his most useful tool and he’ll need to continue to utilize this strength if he is to overcome the hard-hitting Cannonier.  While Brunson has a loss to current UFC Middleweight Champion Adesanya, a sixth straight win here could garner a title shot for the aging veteran.

Kyler Phillips vs. Marcelo Rojo

A veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter season 27, Kyler Phillips finally made his UFC debut in early 2020 where he took a well-rounded decision victory over Gabriel Silva in a bout which earned both fighters fight of the night. Phillips followed that performance up with a second-round TKO victory over Cameron Else and an upset victory over top Bantamweight prospect out of Team Alpha Male Song Yadong. Phillips remains Yadong’s only UFC loss in nine appearances. Unfortunately for Phillips, he was not able to translate his upset over Yadong into a quick ascension up the Bantamweight rankings as he suffered a majority decision loss to Raulian Paiva in his last bout. In that bout, Phillips clearly tired following an extremely dominant first-round and will need to fill that gap if he is to become a top fighter in the division. Phillips is very well-rounded, utilizing a bevy of kicks, a powerful straight right hand, elbows from the clinch, and a strong top game. Against a fighter with an 0-1 record in the promotion, look for Phillips to try and make a showcase of this main card opportunity.

Marcelo Rojo made his first prominent appearance in 2016 where he was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter Latin America season 3. The Argentinian made it to the semi-finals before losing a decision to current UFC Lightweight Claudio Puelles. Since then, Rojo has competed numerous times in the Combate promotion, highlighted by a 2018 victory over current UFC Bantamweight Jesse Strader and KO victories over Fabian Galvan and Victor Madrigal. Rojo finally made his UFC debut in March of 2021 where he lost via third-round TKO to Charles Jourdain. Rojo will need to set a high pace in his bout with Phillips in order to test Phillips’ gas tank. If he is able to tire Phillips, Rojo may be able to showcase some of the power in his boxing ability.

Bobby Green vs. Nasrat Haqparast

“King” Bobby Green looks to extend upon his finish over former Lightweight title challenger Al Iaquinta (his first finish since 2013) when he faces Nasrat Haqparast in the main card opener on Saturday. Green entered the UFC in 2013 with an extensive resume highlighted by experience in Strikeforce, King of the Cage, and Affliction.  In the UFC, Green has accumulated a 9-7-1 record with notable victories over Iaquinta, Lando Vannata, Clay Guida, former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson, and James Krause. Always a contender for a fight of the night bonus, Green consistently engages in striking matches with his opponents using slick boxing and head movement. The concerning side for Green is that his style tends to make the fights look close to judges, which has resulted in a number of contentious decisions. With recent losses only to top up-and-comers in the division – Rafael Fiziev and Thiago Moises – Green is still a tough task for any fighter in the division.

Nasrat Haqparast debuted in the UFC in 2017 against ace grappler Marcin Held and while he was on the wrong end of a decision, he demonstrated a strong gas tank and always looked for the finish against the talented veteran. Haqparast’s tenacity has resulted in a 5-3 UFC record, highlighted by a decision victory over Marc Diakiese and a KO victory over Joaquim Silva. Haqparast is always game for any opponent, having most recently taken on top Lightweight contender Dan Hooker at UFC 266 where both participants had to deal with visa issues causing minimal time to cut weight and acclimate. Against Green, Haqparast will likely engage in a striking affair and may look to push the pace in an effort to tire Green with an exhaustive pace.