Not only is Adesanya better than Whittaker, but he’s also significantly superior to Robert Whittaker, who was widely regarded as the best middleweight in the UFC. “The Last Stylebender” beat “Reaper” again this past weekend, but not without a little struggle. Adesanya successfully defended his middleweight title (48-47, 48-47, 49-46). It was Adesanya’s fourth successful belt defense.
The return bout was much more cautious for Whittaker, which was anticipated according to his statements. Adesanya was the one who advanced and combined boxing skills with kicks effectively. In the second half of the first round, Whittaker fell to the floor after Adesanya hit him well with a direct punch. Still, despite being hit very well in the first round, The Reaper quickly got up and attempted to take it down, but Izzy effortlessly blocked it. After round 1, there was still a sense that Adesanya was one step ahead of Whittaker at all times, and he struggled with his speed and technique.
In the second round, Whittaker entered more boldly since it turned out that such a fight was much better suited to Adesanya, for whom such a challenge was far more hazardous. In the middle of the second round, Whittaker fell down with a “double leg” crash; yet Adesanya very quickly brought the bout back to the ground. Adesanya continued to kick frequently in the second round, but Whittaker also had effective strikes in that period and left a significantly better impression than he did in the first five minutes.
In the third round, Adesanya maintained control of the middle of the cage and kept a safe distance. However, in the early phases of that period, while Whittaker had some success in attempting to put Izzy at risk by making occasional rushes, Adesanya did not score much. After three minutes of the third round, Adesanya whiffed with a high kick and Whittaker caught his leg and toppled him to the ground. However, “Reaper” didn’t get anything concrete out of this scenario, and Adesanya was right back up on his feet. We didn’t see much action or open exchanges in this round, but Israel has established himself as a fighter who maintains control over the match, especially with his kicks from afar.
At the start of the fourth round, Whittaker had the most success, but he also scored with his left hand throughout the bout. “Reaper” was able to secure a new demolition in the fourth round, albeit only after taking Adesanya’s back; he sought for an opportunity to suffocate him but Adesanya defended again without major difficulty and the battle continued in the stand. Israel Adesanya didn’t cause much trouble for Whittaker during the first round. He had the most success striking low kicks in Robert Whittaker’s left leg. However, as the fight went on, the rounds got shorter and more difficult to score.
BREAKING: Israel Adesanya beats Whittaker to retain UFC middleweight title
Broja
Izzy pic.twitter.com/4iNZbaQ8sw— Pause News Trend (@PauseNewsTrend) February 13, 2022
The fifth round was a repeat of the previous four rounds. Adesanya dominated the middle of the cage, but there was no more striking. In the midst of the round, Whittaker attempted to grapple again in the center of the cage, but his wrestling couldn’t harm Izzy. The champion avoided any additional risk and quietly brought the battle to a conclusion.
Israel Adesanya does the double on The Reaper! 😤@stylebender defeats Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision to retain his UFC Middleweight Championship! 🏆#UFC271 pic.twitter.com/nWuVHimOQw
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) February 13, 2022
We didn’t see a full match with a lot of excitement, and everyone was probably hoping for something better. However, we were treated to one patient and technically skilled bout as a result of this. Robert Whittaker may have been more aggressive because he believed he had not done his best to win, according to reports. Adesanya has proven time and time again that he is fantastic at controlling the fight’s course and it’s very difficult to beat him.
Israel Adesanya says he would like to fight again in June! 🏆#UFC271 pic.twitter.com/1uTp5MBV6O
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) February 13, 2022
Tai Tuivasa knocked out Derrick Lewis in the second round of their bout to capture his career victory. “Bam Bam” withstood “The Black Beast’s” assaults in the first round and welcomed its attacks in the first half of the second part. After several well-struck blows to Derrick Lewis’ face, Tuivas connected his elbow to his opponent’s jaw and made him unconscious. It is Tuivas’ fifth consecutive win.
The middleweight division’s next challenger has emerged in the form of Jared Cannonier. Derek Brunson had good moments early on, and he even shook Cannonier. However, after consolidating in the second round, Jared knocked out Derek Brunson with a technical knockout at the end of the second round. “Killa Gorilla” was crowned with this victory, making him the next opponent who will confront him later this year in what may be his biggest career bout to date.
The fourth fight, however, is the one that most people are talking about. The third consecutive victory by 43-year-old Arlovski in his career. This truly legendary UFC fighter defeated Jared Vanderaa by a split decision, according to the judges.
Douglas Silva de Andrade is another name to consider. The bantamweight bout between Douglas Silva de Andrade and Sergey Morozov was a fantastic example of a turnaround. Morozov inflicted significant harm on Andrade in the first round, but the Brazilian exhibited his bravery and celebrated with a submission in the second. This has been one of the finest matches thus far in 2022, without question.
Roxane Modafferi lost to Casey O’Neill in her 45th professional bout, which was ended by a split decision. Roxy’s 20th career loss comes against O’Neill, who earned the nod via unanimous decision. Green and Moicano put up excellent fights as part of the main event, and all of the UFC 271 results can be found at the bottom of this article.
UFC 271 – results
The main part of the event:
Israel Adesanya def. Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision (48-47 x2, 49-46)
Tai Tuivasa def. Derrick Lewis via KO – R2, 01:40
Jared Cannonier def. Derek Brunson via TKO – R2, 04:29
Renato Moicano def. Alexander Hernandez via submission (RNC) – R2, 01:23
Bobby Green def. Nasrat Haqparast via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
The preliminary part of the event:
Andrei Arlovski def. Jared Vanderaa via split judge’s decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
Casey O’Neill def. Roxanne Modafferi via split judge’s decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
Kyler Phillips def. Marcelo Rojo via submission (triangle armbar) – R3, 01:48
Carlos Ulberg def. Fabio Cherant via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
The early preliminary part of the event:
Ronnie Lawrence def. Mana Martinez via unanimous decision (29-27 x2, 29-28)
Jacob Malkoun def. AJ Dobson via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Sergey Morozov via submission (RNC) – R2, 03:24
Jeremiah Wells def. Blood Diamond via submission (RNC) – R1, 04:38
Maxim Grishin def. William Knight via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
