The best UFC betting sites have listed the UFC 271 betting odds and in the main event, Israel Adesanya is set as the -280 favorite and Robert Whittaker as the +230 underdog. UFC 271 is an upcoming MMA event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It will take place on February 12, 2022, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States.
Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Adesanya | -280 |
| Whittaker | +230 |
Adesanya is the fave at the best online sportsbooks. His record is 21-1 with 15 KO wins and one decision loss. The Last Stylebender is talented and very tall for the middleweight division. He is six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach.
That makes it hard for opponents to close the distance and strike with him. Izzy has remarkable reflexes and head movement. This results in him absorbing just 2.59 significant strikes per minute. Conversely, he lans 3.94.
He counters well when his opponents rush in. At distance he dissects them with sharp kicks. If he has one weakness, it is grappling. Jan Blachowicz used that to earn the win in their match. Adesanya has been taken down seven times in the past two fights. He still stuffs 80% of takedown attempts.
Whittaker, the underdog at the best betting sites, is 23-5 with 14 stoppages (nine KOs, five submissions). Three of his losses have been finishes (two KOs, one submission). The Reaper struggled with injuries after he won the title.
He fought only three times from early 2017 into his bout with Adesanya in 2019. He’s been more active ever since with three fights in less than a year. He is a very smart fighter in the cage. He always picks apart his opponents’ movements before he attacks.
The erstwhile champ is also very quick with his strikes and movements. This catches his foes off guard. We saw a new aspect in Whittaker’s game in his previous fight. He secured four takedowns against Kelvin Gastelum.
He had landed only two combined in his past eight fights. When he was patient with Adesanya, he was successful. But when he was aggressive, he got KTFO. Ergo, patience is the key.
Pick: Whittaker by decision.
Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Lewis | -185 |
| Tuivasa | +155 |
La Bete Noire is favored by the best betting sites. Lewis’s record is 26-8 with one no contest. 21 of his wins have been by knockout. Five of his losses have come in the same fashion. Although he tipped the scales at or near the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds, The Black Beast is fast for his size. His power is off the chain.
Sometimes, we will see the big man jump through the air with flying knees or head kicks. But it is his hands that usually deliver the death blow. The biggest downside on the Beast is his poor output. He averages 2.52 significant strikes per minute. He absorbing 2.48. When Lewis goes on the warpath and lets his fists go, it is a portentous sight because his opponents are left completely helpless.
Pick: Lewis by knockout.
Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Cannonier | -175 |
| Brunson | +145 |
Cannonier gets the nod at the best betting sites. He has a 14-5 record with 11 finishes (nine KOs, two submissions). Two of his losses have been stoppages, both of them by knockout. Killa Gorilla used to fight, win and earn knockouts in the heavyweight division.
He had a short stint in the light heavyweight division. Also he is now 4-1 as a middleweight. He is an intimidating, with big powerful strikes. He stopped Anderson Silva with leg kicks. His hands should be registered weapons. Cannonier is great at sliding out of strikes from his opponents and closing the distance and letting fists fly.
Pick: Cannonier by knockout.
