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Betting Odds

The more proven former champion, Robert Whittaker, is a sizeable -380 favorite over the hungry prospect, Dricus Du Plessis, coming back as a +300 dog.

• Robert Whittaker: -380 (BetUS)
• Dricus Du Plessis: +300 (BetUS)

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Fight Breakdown

There are a handful of fighters who are stated as “would-be champions” if it were not for the current champion in their respective division. The two notable fighters to fit this bill are Max “Blessed” Holloway and Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker. Both these fighters have been champions in the past, and while each has fallen short of beating the current champion – Israel Adesanya in the Middleweight division – they are perceived as the unequivocal top contender.

What makes Robert Whittaker so good is quite similar to the opponent who has Max Holloway’s number, that is, Alexander Volkanovski. Both men have sound grappling, and most importantly, a keen understanding of distance and timing on the feet that is seamlessly blended with elite speed and high fight intellect. For Whittaker in particular, he loves to throw a right-hand, left-hook combination that is followed by an arena-thumping kick, thrown to the leg, body, and/or head of his opponent. While simple in theory, the best of the best are able to make a basic combination into one that is truly devasting, and Whittaker has done that time in and time out, as he has dominated the middleweight division not named Adesanya.

Dominance over the middleweight division can be argued for Du Plessis as well, as he has finished four of his five UFC bouts, and all finishes besides one are against ranked-caliber opponents. Moreover, the way in which Du Plessis is able to dominate is a combination of striking and grappling success, thus making him a well-rounded opponent, similar to that of Whittaker.

The difference between Du Plessis and Whittaker does become stark when you analyze the way in which they dominate fights. Whereas Whittaker uses elite speed and technically sound movements, Du Plessis relies more on his physical ability, and this is not too surprising when you see just how strong he is from a body-frame standpoint. The benefit for Du Plessis with choosing to rest on his physical ability is that he is in his prime, and the power he has in his hands coupled with the ability to be heavy and strong in grappling makes him a proven problem. The issue though is that if he faces an opponent who can use technique in both striking and grappling to mitigate the physical advantage he has, then he can become stiff and slow down as the fight ensues.

We saw moments of this in the Brad Tavares fight, where Tavares was able to use sound technical ability to stuff all seven takedown attempts, and then, use basic boxing to find some success on the feet. And while Du Plessis was able to power through and find the win, the lone non-specialist, well-rounded ranked fighter that he fought showcased problematic areas for him brings doubt here as Whittaker is levels ahead of where Tavares is currently at, as such, will likely be able to mitigate the threat the same way, but extend his success once the threat is mitigated.

Prediction

Dricus Du Plessis is justifiably confident given his UFC success and is someone with legitimate power and a strong grappling game. These threats of striking power early coupled with an ability to potentially control the fight with grappling raise concern, but when you analyze the technical ability of Whittaker everywhere the fight takes place, then the concern becomes extremely mild.

Simply put, Whittaker has proven time in and time out to be leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the middleweight division with being 13-2 since 2014, and I expect this fight to be no different. Lack of difference comes into play with the recent track record of him going to decisive decision victories, so I am electing to go with him by decision once more at +195 odds.

Pick: Whittaker by decision (+195)

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The post Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis prediction | UFC 290 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Since losing his middleweight belt to Israel Adesanya in 2019, “The Reaper” has picked off every other challenger trying to pass him. However, before he is able to get a third shot at Adesanya, he will now have to face Costa, who is coming off of an August win over Luke Rockhold.

Although both men have fought for the belt in previous years, oddsmakers have Whittaker as a fairly substantial favorite. He has opened as a -225, with Costa opening at +190. That being said, the odds have since shifted, with Whittaker now at -250 and Costa at +205 via FanDuel.

This means that a $250 bet on Whittaker would return a $100 prize, and $100 on Costa would come back to you at $305, meaning $205 in profit.

Of course, both men have floated inside the top 10 for the last few years, Whittaker fighting for his former belt earlier in 2022 and Costa back in 2020. Naturally, with Whittaker losing to no man outside the championship in almost a decade, momentum is on his side. Yet, this also sets the stage for a dramatic upset if Costa can pull it off.

Here are the opening odds for the pair’s last five fights:

Robert Whittaker’s last five fights:

• vs. Marvin Vettori (W): -225
• vs. Israel Adesanya (L): +220
• vs. Kelvin Gastelum (W): -275
• vs. Jared Cannonier (W): +125
• vs. Darren Till (W): -135

Paulo Costa’s last five fights:

• vs.  Luke Rockhold (W): -260
• vs.  Marvin Vettori (L): -150
• vs.  Israel Adesanya (L): +120
• vs.  Yoel Romero (W): +165
• vs.  Uriah Hall (W): -290

The post UFC 284 Odds: Robert Whittaker opens as favorite over Paulo Costa in top contender matchup appeared first on The Body Lock.

Both men have most recently lost to the current 185lb kingpin, Israel Adesanya. In Whittaker’s case, the result was a largely debated one amongst fans. While this was Whittaker’s last outing, Vettori has managed to raise his stock since, defeating another former challenger in Paulo Costa, showcasing his fighter’s mentality by accepting the fight regardless of Costa’s botched weight cut.

Whittaker and Vettori are looking for a way back to the belt, and this, the highest level of challenge in the division outside the gold, is both a big step up for the winner and a devastating setback for the loser.

Betting Odds

The former champion will enter the fight as the -243 favorite. This means it will cost a wager of $243 to win $100 on him.

• Whittaker: -243 (MyBookie)
• Vettori: +184 (MyBookie)

Fight Breakdown

Robert Whittaker has a very unique style. Sort of a cross between boxing and Karate, he stands long and wide like a Karateka with an incredible burst in and out, but he plants on the lead and throws with torque like a boxer. The biggest difference in this matchup will be his range and kicks, where Vettori typically works at kickboxing range, mostly using his hands with a particularly good body kick, Whittaker can use weapons like his blitz, sidekicks and snapkicks to hit Vettori one step further away.

Whittaker is an orthodox fighter and Vettori a southpaw, so Vettori’s signature left body kick will be available, but on the flip side, Whittaker also has a devastating round kick, although its usefulness has been primarily to the head. Neither man has innate power in their hands like some of the other middleweights such as Costa and Jared Cannonier, but both make up for that in different ways. Vettori is relentless, and the finishes on his record typically come from breaking his opponents down with pressure, either wilting them with consistent boxing or forcing them to succumb to a submission as they fade. Whittaker delivers strikes like a point fighter, but in doing so, he sets up his biggest moments, such as forcing opponents to move into big head kicks or into the path of a wide and big hook. He does throw wide in these instances, but it’s expert setups that make up for any telegraphing.

Vettori stands very square in his stance, and his punches tend to come from his shoulders rather than his hips. This is one of the reasons his power may be a drawback but what it allows him to do is never over-commit and lets him punch in big combinations while moving forward. He doesn’t always mix in his kicks and knees, but he is superb at chaining his boxing into elbows when he is letting loose on his opponent, especially trapping them between himself and the cage in close range.

What we will likely see is Vettori looking to press the pace, he needs accumulation, whereas Whittaker will look to counter, land for points and set up big strikes. Vettori will control the center of the octagon, and Whittaker skirts the cage, but for him it will be important to utilize direct strikes up the middle to keep Vettori at bay. His jab and lead sidekick are key weapons but he also needs to land something significant early in order to get Vettori’s respect, because otherwise Vettori’s pressure knows no bounds. At the same time this means he will, and has often walked onto shots, electing to block or roll with them rather than evading.

In terms of grappling, we have Whittaker with more of a jiu-jitsu base, he has developed good takedowns but not on the level of Vettori and Vettori usually has better success with holding opponents down. What we do see from Whittaker however, is that while many opponents tend to get back to their feet, he will choose the movements to take them down intelligently in order to edge out rounds, and the channel he offers them to escape exposes their back where he will attack rear naked chokes. For Vettori, he has more of a mauling style where he will sit in the guard and utilize powerful head pressure to keep them defending and flat.

Prediction

Neither Whittaker nor Vettori has ever shown a weakness in their gas tanks, but facing each other, I give Vettori the edge. That being said, while I think that could play a factor in Vettori wearing down Whittaker over five rounds, I don’t see him breaking Whittaker down enough over three to see his usual success.

Contrastingly, with Vettori’s style of pressing forward in a square stance, I do think that Whittaker will be able to draw him into walking onto some of Whittaker’s big shots and making the most of them win out the fight on elusiveness, counters, and big moments.

Wrestling could play a factor, but I think that if Whittaker stays on his bike, constantly circling, he can avoid getting caught on the fence for Vettori’s clinch and using sidekicks to the knee and body, he can force Vettori to maintain a respectable distance.

Prediction: Robert Whittaker to win (-243 odds at MyBookie)

The post Prediction: Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori | UFC Paris appeared first on The Body Lock.

The highly-anticipated rematch will stream live only on ESPN+ PPV in the United States on Saturday night together with the full UFC 271 main card, prelims, and early prelims.

• Existing ESPN+ subscribers can order the UFC 271 PPV for $74.99.
• New ESPN+ subscribers can order the UFC 271 & ESPN+ Bundle for $99.98.

Adesanya returns after defending the title three times already since defeating Whittaker and claiming the title in 2019. Whittaker has also racked up three wins in that time to earn his second shot at the title.

The odds are in Adesanya’s favor this time with Whittaker set to enter as a moderate betting underdog. James Lynch asked UFC fighters for their Adesanya vs. Whittaker predictions before UFC 271 this weekend and here’s what they said.

Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 predictions

Stephen Thompson

“Adesanya seems untouchable at this point, man. He seems untouchable. He’s like cleared the division out, but the person that I think would give him the most problems is Whittaker. I think Whittaker learned from his last one. I think his striking is on par with Adesanya, especially his karate movements, head kicks, and takedown defense.

“It’s going to be a stand-up war. But, uh, the counter striking of Adesanya is where Whittaker’s going to have his problems. I think that’s how I ended up defeating him as well, was just the counter-punching he had problems with. So I’m going to, I’m leaning towards Adesanya.”

Source: MMA Pros Pick: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Part 1

Jack Hermansson

“I think Izzy’s gonna take it again. I think Robert is such a hard match-up for everybody and because he’s so great at closing the distance, he’s super quick, but Adesanya has a little bit too much reach on him. It’s hard for him to get to him. So, stylistically it’s, tough for Rob in that one. So maybe it’s gonna be interesting to see if he incorporates some wrestling after the Blachowicz fight.  I’ll give the edge to Izzy.”

Source: MMA Pros Pick: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Part 1

Gegard Mousasi

“Robert Whittaker is really good. So, I don’t know. You know, he won the first time. So you have to give the edge to Israel Adesanya. Robert Whittaker is a tough individual, but if you get caught in a punch and you get knocked down, you know, toughness doesn’t matter.”

Source: MMA Pros Pick: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Part 1

Chris Daukaus

“It all depends on which Whitaker comes out. I think that of everyone in the division Whittaker is the only one who can beat Izzy. But Izzy’s, you know, he’s really good, man. He’s really good. He knows what he’s doing. If Rob uses his grappling, you know, not necessarily taking him down but you know, maybe wearing him down, putting up against the cage and beating him up from there, I think he’s got a better shot at beating Izzy than he did the first time.

“Plus the first, the first match, I think Rob was coming off a little bit of a layoff. So he wasn’t doing as much. It wasn’t as, as active. And then it was such a big fight, you know, especially with all those people there. I kind of think he got overwhelmed a little bit, but if you know, if you going to give me 500 bucks, I’m going to say, Izzy on this one.”

Source: MMA Pros Pick: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Part 1

Cody Durden

“Izzy, Israel. He’s too good, man. I really do think he’s got the best striking in the UFC. You know, he uses his length so well and his distance and his timing and, uh, yeah, man, a slip back counter — fight over again.”

Source: MMA Pros Pick: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Part 1

Geoff Neal

“Whittaker’s last fights were awesome. You know what I mean? So, I mean, that might show growth, but, um, I don’t know how that’s going to translate with going against Adesanya who’s like long and lanky. You know what I mean? So, uh, we’ll see how that plays out. It might, it really might happen just like it did in the first fight or it depends on if Robert learned from his mistakes. You can capitalize on it, but right now I have Adesanya winning again.”

Source: MMA Pros Pick: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Part 1

Josh Emmett

That’s a tough one too, just because, you know, Adesanya already beat Whittaker, and you know, he’s hungry. He’s come back from his loss and he’s gone on a good streak and maybe he’ll have to, uh, maybe he knows what he did wrong in that first fight so he’s definitely gonna change up the game plan and try to implement that.

“It’s tough though because again, we’re talking about a champion, so it’s kind of hard to go bet against those guys, and Adesanya’s so good. Um, so I would lean towards Adesanya cause he’s already beat him once and he is the champion. So, uh, yeah, I’m gonna, I’m gonna go with Adesanya.”

Source: MMA Pros Pick: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Part 2

Jordan Wright

“Man. That’s another really good one. I think Whittaker, I think a different, Whittaker’s going to show up this time. I know people say like, how Whittaker said he was burnt out and this and that and fighters always have things that go on behind the scenes, like Izzy may have had an injury or sickness or anything going on before that fight but I think a Whitaker’s coming in now just, uh, a different fighter, which is really crazy, considering all the fights and all the battles he’s gone through and to see him still keep getting better each time is absolutely amazing. So yeah, I think Whittaker.”

Source: MMA Pros Pick: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Part 2

The post UFC 271 Predictions: Fighters pick Adesanya vs. Whittaker winner appeared first on The Body Lock.

The lead-up to the first fight in October 2019 shaped an intense rivalry between the two fighters as media and fans ignited talk of an Australia vs. New Zealand rivalry. But now, because the pair are set to fight in Houston, Texas, this weekend at UFC 271, it has resulted in a different feeling for Whittaker, at least.

Whittaker and Adesanya will battle again in the UFC 271 main event this Saturday night. Fight fans can order the PPV on ESPN+ here to watch the title fight and the entire main card live.

“This one has a completely different tone,” Whittaker said to Submission Radio. “I feel like there’s an underlying sense of mutual respect. We’re both the two of the best in the game. He’s the champion and I’m number one, and we’ve ran through everybody else, and I think there’s a certain level of mutual respect that comes from that.

“And I think the fact that the New Zealand/Australia rivalry isn’t so much getting thrown in everybody’s faces here, or understanding that this is Australian and New Zealand taking over the world sort of thing. And in saying that, we’re not mates. Far from it. We’re not mates. But I just don’t think because this time the media, where we’re fighting in Houston, and just the way the media is not angling that rivalry and that stuff, the fight isn’t personal.”

The different location for this fight at UFC 271 is one that may provide to be beneficial for the former champion as he has since admitted that Adesanya did get in his head before his title defense. With the fight now in Houston, Whittaker believes he’s now in a much better place before he fights Adesanya for the second time.

“I feel like for a lot of different reasons, the fight just got led into that personal sort of space, that first fight,” Whittaker said. “And because of it, it sucked me in, if you would. Especially, because like I said, you guys mentioned it earlier on, is that like my head wasn’t in the right place. So not having my head in the right place, and then all the media’s effects on it, and then making it personal on top of that, it just swept me away into like a little bit of a Whirlpool. And then leaving the game and then working out my why’s and wants and who I am and having confidence now in who I am, it’s a much better place.”

Whittaker recognizes that it’s more than just a renewed mindset that will be what could help lead him to victory at UFC 271. The objective this Saturday night will be to utilize his entire skillset to make the champion feel uncomfortable — that includes testing Adesanya’s takedown defense.

“I could visualize the fight, I go out there and feel out the waters and just honestly, just perform. I want to utilize my entire skillset. I wanna make him feel uncomfortable. I want him to get confused because of how many weapons I’m throwing at him. But of all of that, if I could just get in there and perform, and know that I did my best and I managed to display my best, then I’ll leave a happy man.”

“I think utilizing my full skillset is the best version of me. I think that’s what will make me the best Robert Whittaker, and that’s what I’m trying to achieve. The finish is followed. The finishes follow performance. If I’m performing, well, that’ll come.”

You can order the UFC 271 PPV on ESPN+ here to watch Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 and the entire fight card live this Saturday, January 12 in the United States.

The post UFC 271: Robert Whittaker says Israel Adesanya rematch has ‘completely different tone’ appeared first on The Body Lock.

While champion and former champion Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker battle it out for gold at UFC 271, a number of other promising middleweights and potential challengers will be watching patiently and analyzing their potential next task. Fans can watch Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 and the full UFC 271 fight card only on ESPN+ in the United States this Saturday night.

Here are my top five middleweights currently in the UFC.

Champion – Israel Adesanya

This should be no surprise. Having taken out every challenge at middleweight put in front of him en route to his championship, how could Adesanya not sit atop the best middleweights in the world right now. With likely the most educated striking game in MMA today, few can rival him in the stand up game and as he constantly improves he is proving to be talented wherever the fight goes. That being said, the chances that you can dictate where you end up fighting is scarce, those who have been able to take him down at middleweight have not been able to hold him there long.

Looking at his most recent run, although it’s difficult to justify a title shot off of an Anderson Silva who was already declining through the ranks at the time, rising to the occasion and beating Kelvin Gastelum for the interim belt while he was on the cusp of a title shot cemented Adesanya as a deserving title challenger. Not to mention as of now he holds wins over four of the top five ranked middleweights by the UFC.

#1 – Robert Whittaker

In any world where Israel Adesanya did not fight Robert Whittaker at UFC 243, it’s not just possible but extremely likely that he would still be extending his championship reign today. He has an elusive and calculated style built upon his background as a karateka but with KO power to boot. His ability to mix in takedowns when it matters and defend against the best grapplers in the UFC, including Yoel Romero, while nursing an injured leg makes him a well-rounded scary prospect for any challenger looking his way.

Although Yoel Romero, the man he beat to get to the belt, is no longer in the UFC, many of Whittaker’s older victories have aged well. Both Brad Tavares and Uriah Hall, whom Whittaker beat early on in his bid at middleweight, hold top 15 and top 10 rankings. His win over Derek Brunson is especially important as he is one of the rearing challengers underneath Whittaker within the top 5. Furthermore, as the number 1 contender, and only rank to lose, Whittaker since losing the belt has constantly battled back rising prospects, beating #8 Darren Till, #3 Jared Cannonier, and #12 Kelvin Gastelum in succession to cement his place as the prince of the division as of now. Currently, Whittaker holds wins over two of the UFC’s ranked top 5 middleweights.

#2 – Derek Brunson

This is where my list begins to stray from the official UFC rankings. Derek Brunson sits at #4 officially, likely due to his impressive 5 fight win streak. Once thought to be a gatekeeper in the division, Brunson proved doubters wrong by reinventing himself. Rather than giving into the addiction of being a knockout artist who underutilized his wrestling, Brunson went back to his base and reinvented himself as one of the division’s most dominating grapplers. Although Adesanya was able to knock him out years ago, another fight would be a far cry from the first with Brunson’s newfound veteran mentality and growing fight IQ.

He currently holds wins over three of the top 15, including a win over Uriah Hall more early in their UFC careers. However, since rebounding from the loss to Adesanya in 2018, Brunson has added the names of Kevin Holland and Darren Till to his resume, as well as unranked but promising future prospects Edmund Shabazyan and Ian Heinisch.

#3 – Marvin Vettori

Officially, Marvin Vettori sits at number 3 in the official rankings. The reason I have him lower on my list is that while his latest victory over Paulo Costa is impressive and changes things relative to the Brazilian, it wasn’t actually at middleweight officially. This leaves Vettori coming off a loss to the champion at 185lbs, with fewer top 10 victories than Brunson. However, that doesn’t mean he doesnt have skills equal to Brunson. Vettori has a terrifying pressure style, in which he closes space to strike with little hesitation, he bullies his opponents and looks to mix in his wrestling to dominate his opponents when needed. Largely it is pace and relentlessness that get him the victory and a fighting mentality that can only be described as willing to take punishment because he is there to win by all means necessary.

Currently, Vettori holds wins over Kevin Holland and Jack Hermansson at 185lbs, the latter of which is ranked #6 in the world at the time of this article’s writing. He also holds a win over the #5 ranked middleweight in Paulo Costa, although due to an error in Costa’s preparation eventually took place closer to light heavyweight.

#4 – Sean Strickland

The only addition to this list that isn’t actually amongst the top 5 rankings in the UFC yet. This may change soon due to his recent victory over Hermansson but it remains to be seen. A fighter’s record is only as good as it is relevant at times and rankings is largely one of them. While Paulo Costa deserves an argument for this spot as well, his time off and botched weight cut leaves him with only one win inside the top 10 and leaves room for rising prospects like Sean Strickland to enter. For lack of a better term, the controversial North Carolinian has had his fair share of discussion around his name for more unsavory reasons but don’t let that distract you from his calculated and clean fighting style. Primarily a boxer, Strickland utilizes a unique guard and straight posture when he fights, allowing him to lean out of range and return with his sharp jab and long right crosses. He is elusive as he is relentless and makes for a frustrating opponent whomever he stands across from.

As of now, he enjoys a six-fight win streak, including top 10 fighters Jack Hermansson and Uriah Hall. Prior to this wins over fighters just shy of a world ranking in Krzysztof Jotko and Brendan Allen also lend themselves as proof to the skill of Strickland.

You can order the UFC 271 PPV on ESPN+ here to watch Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 and the entire fight card live this Saturday, January 12 in the United States.

The post UFC 271: Ranking the top five UFC middleweight fighters before Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Before Adesanya and Whittaker meet for the second time this weekend at UFC 271, the odds aren’t as tight with Adesanya now available as a -280 favorite vs. Whittaker at +225. The rematch and the entire UFC 271 fight card will stream live only on ESPN+ PPV in the United States.

Although the odds were close, the matchup, from start to finish, was quite lopsided. In the bout, Adesanya fought the style and pace that maximizes his attributes. More specifically, he was able to stay at a comfortable range, and when Whittaker decided to attempt to negate the distance, Adesanya landed clean strikes, from head to toe. These strikes proved to be quite damaging, having dropped Whittaker at the end of the first round, and come the second, finished the fight in impressive fashion.

The success of Adesanya cannot be negated, as he had a near-flawless performance. The reason why absolute flawlessness cannot be cast upon Adesanya’s performance is due to his elite style having inherent issues that did arise in the fight against Whittaker. The main issue was Whittaker having greater output compared to Adesanya for much of the first round. The way in which he did so was by frequently rushing in, throwing lead hooks followed by an alternate strike – right hand and kicks.

Prior to getting knocked down at the end of the first, the judging of round one, although close, would likely have been scored 10-9 in Whittaker’s favor. The lead left hook being used to negate distance landed against Adesanya, but it left Whittaker susceptible to being countered. If Whittaker can find an alternative strike that negates distance in a safer manner, he can use output to outpoint the counter-striking style of Adesanya. This is likely easier said than done, as Adesanya is undefeated as a middleweight and has defended his belt against Romero, Costa, and Vettori quite impressively since having fought Whittaker.

The final point of review, and one that cannot go understated, is Whittaker lacking a strong and clear head leading up to his fight against Adesanya. Whittaker, being a natural leader, has been willing to be upfront, honest, and outspoken about his mental health struggles, specifically, battling depression at moments within his career. Although not using his mental status as an excuse for his loss to Adesanya, the mental struggle Whittaker experienced during the time period of the Adesanya fight nets a clear factor of change in this matchup, given Whittaker seems to be in a far greater mental state now than what he was in 2019. This change, in conjunction with the former lightweight champion, Jan Blachowicz, showcasing a style of fight that can beat Israel Adesanya, results in this matchup likely shaping up to be far different from the first, and one that cannot be missed.

You can order the UFC 271 PPV on ESPN+ here to watch Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 and the entire fight card live this Saturday, January 12 in the United States.

The post First Fight Review: Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker full fight video – UFC 243 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Since losing the belt in 2019, Robert Whittaker has amassed three impressive contender victories, cementing himself as the true #1 contender in the division and building the idea that he and only he may be the one to rival the seemingly unstoppable style bender. Between these three fights since, he has also demonstrated strides in his game and adjustments which may very well make all the difference once the two meet again.

Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 and the entire UFC 271 fight card will stream live only on ESPN+ this Saturday night in the United States. You can order the UFC 271 PPV here.

Strengths of the Reaper

Robert Whittaker, even going into the first fight against Adesanya brought with him elements of the fight game that are unique to him. With a background in karate, Whittaker excels in a wide stance that allows him to bounce in and out, with one of the fastest bursts in the division and the reaction and timing to do so at the right moments. His ability to deliver attacks in a point style manner that also maintains impressive power is a rare trait amongst most fighters. What allows Whittaker to land such damaging strikes is his ability to time exactly when his opponents plant into their stance and shift their weight. He looks to bounce which acts as almost constant fainting as his constant motion hides the moment he may burst forward. The resulting anxiety this creates causes his opponents to bite on Whittaker’s movements, at which point Whittaker intercepts their attack as they’ve committed, making it extremely difficult to defend against Whittaker’s flurry. You often see him work on the outside of the octagon’s perimeter in order to get his opponents to come forward to make this easier, and his innate speed advantage over most fighters is also a reason he is able to implement this so well.

He is always on the balls of his feet whether he is stationary or not, which is why he is able to throw his kicks in a snap fashion rather than the typical Thai style kicks. This avoids telegraphing and while this style does not pack the same amount of power behind the attack, it doesn’t take much for a headkick to do the intended damage.

Adjustments to make from the first fight

While Adesanya will be coming into the rematch with the confidence knowing he already holds a win over the former champ, Whittaker does also have one distinct advantage from their first fight. Looking back at UFC 243, Whittaker can see what he did wrong and make the adjustments, it’s on Adesanya to anticipate what Whittaker will do differently in order to right the wrongs he made the first time around.

Robert Whittaker spoke after their first time meeting in the cage, on having gone into the fight already at a mental disadvantage. He said he hated Adesanya and that exhausted him, plus the weight of the belt, the brightness of the lights in the moment, etc. All of this materialized in a version of Robert Whittaker we rarely see, he was over-aggressive, over-zealous, and seemed to take risks he wouldn’t normally do. While Whittaker’s preference to work moving forward or counter on the backfoot changes fighter to fighter depending on the game plan, at his best he typically does the latter, yet against Adasanya who also likes to counter-strike, Whittaker constantly bursts into range and finds himself prey to his own tactic.

Robert Whittaker, typically bounces along the edge of the cage, forcing his opponent to react to his constant footwork and range, and times their commitment in order to hit them flat-footed with their weight moving forward. This allows him to land very accurately, much due to his insane speed and reactive timing. When Whittaker is the one trying to initiate the exchanges without baiting his opponent into a position of vulnerability, it’s far less successful. Adesanya does a similar thing, he creates patterns to draw out certain reactions of his opponents, feints, and then counters their reactions, but both fighters depend on being able to sit back and influence their opponents to create openings. However, for the most part, one person has to play this game more often and in their first fight, it was Adesanya who sat back and forced Whittaker to try to bridge the distance and build bad habits.

It will be key for Whittaker to not play into this the second time around, he has to be patient and force Adesanya to take risks so that he can intercept and counter as he prefers to do. One of the ways that Whittaker can do this is by utilizing his jab on its own. In the first fight, he was able to land the jab consistently but failed to land the following power shot behind it. He threw in combination every time he entered and Adesanya was able to dodge the second blow and make Whittaker pay for it every time. If Whittaker can land the jab and exit, he can start to build on Adesanya without taking unnecessary risks, which will force Adesanya to try to get it back at which point the power shots will be more available, but what Whittaker cannot do is throw big looping punches behind the jab every time and be too predictable.

Another way he can mix things up against Adesanya and get him to fight on Whittaker’s terms is to mix in the grappling. Whittaker has difficulty committing to the power doubles and singles but has a very educated outside trip. This form of takedown may actually be more effective against Adesanya, who has a habit of immediately looking for the overhook or whizzer in clinches, which will allow Whittaker to get hold of the double underhook body lock needed for this takedown. The opportunity will come when the two clash, in their first fight, Whittaker found himself bursting too far, landing the jab but crashing into Adesanya afterward, rather than adjusting the striking range, transitioning into grappling will be a better strategy.

Adesanya is very difficult to takedown against the fence, his overhook tactic makes level changing difficult and his long limbs allow for a wide base along the cage, however out in open space it becomes exponentially easier to take him down. Whittaker, if he can work more on the backfoot and leave that space behind style bender, will have these opportunities.

Even if Whittaker cannot complete the takedown, exiting after entering will force Adesanya to sprawl or defend which may then open up an easier target for his power punches and kicks, so whether he completes them or not attempting takedowns will make a huge difference either way. Mixing up the game will be key for Whittaker.

Along with this, having the discipline to continually go back to it is important. Whittaker doesn’t have the wrestling background to always hold his opponents down, what we’ve seen in the past is Whittaker’s ability to stay in half guard and control but allow his opponents to turn their back and either get up or give up their back, but flattening his opponents out has never been Whittaker’s strongest suit. Adesanya has a history of giving up his back in order to wall walk, so even if he is able to escape, the points earned from taking him down is money in the bank for Whittaker and he has to find the discipline to understand he may lose position but he needs to go back to it more than once.

Ultimately, Whittaker needs to be patient, not play into the counterstriking of Adesanya and make him take initiative. He needs to utilize his point style to make Adesanya take risks in return and mix in the takedowns to force Adesanya to defend in the realm of MMA he is less adept at. By doing so, Whittaker can win rounds on effective grappling exchanges, frustrate the champion and open up striking opportunities in grappling transition and takedown threats. He has to be wary of letting Adesanya bait him forward, and allowing Adesnya to use the fence as defense puts Whittaker at a disadvantage.

Whittaker’s weapons

Robert Whittaker has a unique arsenal of striking and grappling techniques which he will have to take full advantage of against Adesanya

The Gazelle hook – Robert Whittaker utilizes a unique punching method made famous by the classic boxer Rocky Marciano. He dips into a crouched posture and hops forward with the lead left hook from below. One of the issues with Whittaker’s is that he came around too wide and allowed Adesanya to punch through the middle in the first fight, but with a tighter punch, the Gazelle hook can be devastating, as evident when Whittaker knocked out Brad Tavares.

Fake Gazelle Hook to lead low kick – Missed by most and even maybe Whittaker himself, at one point in the first fight it became clear that Adesanya felt he had a read on Whittaker’s left hook. However, he wasn’t prepared when Whittaker hopped into the crouched position ready to unload the punch but instead shifted into a lead leg low kick. This is effective because, Adesanya’s typical reaction to hooks is to lean back out of range but in doing so he has to plant his feet, leaving himself vulnerable to this kind of kick. It allowed Whittaker to land the low kick cleanly but he did not go back to the technique before the end of the fight.

Right straight, right side step to left hook – Robert Whittaker has a great combination he often goes back to, throwing the right straight down the middle in a lunging stance, sidestepping with the rear right foot which opens up the angle for his left hook to come while he is not in place to be hit with the counter. The reason this may be an effective attack against Adesanya is that Adesanya often slipped to the inside of Whittaker, which means Adesanya stepped left. By sidestepping right mid combination, Whittaker cuts off Adesanya’s exit strategy and may lead to the clinch and then takedown.

The Can Opener – an old-school wrestling move in MMA, probably most famously used by Georges St. Pierre, the can opener is when the top position fighter goes to essentially a Thai clinch on the ground and stacks his opponent. This forces the guard open and gives the space to pass. Whittaker has been known to use this to get to half guard, a position where Adesanya seems to allow himself to settle on the bottom-most. The can opener is also more effective on taller opponents who have less the luxury of working in tight suffocating grappling positions, but excel in guard when they can use their limbs to their advantage. It will be key for Whittaker to look to pass to half guard if he manages to take the fight to the floor.

Keys to Victory

Ultimately it comes down to Robert Whittaker fighting his style of fight and taking advantage of his more well-rounded prowess. Both Whittaker and Adesanya are chess players, who bait and counter, but Adesanya was the one who was able to lay the more effective bait in their first match. This time around Whittaker has to be patient, and force Adesanya to take the risks and initiative, he can create openings by mixing his striking and grappling to keep Adesanya guessing.

You can order the UFC 271 PPV on ESPN+ here to watch Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 and the entire fight card live this Saturday, January 12 in the United States.

The post How Robert Whittaker Wins: Keys to Victory for “The Reaper” at UFC 271 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Whittaker and Adesanya are set to face each other for the second time when they meet at the Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas, this Saturday, February 12. The UFC 271 PPV event will stream live only on ESPN+ this Saturday night.

Speaking with Submission Radio before the title fight rematch with Adesanya, Whittaker laughed at the idea that taking the champion down and controlling him on the ground would be a straightforward task.

“People are saying, ‘you’ve just got to get him on his back.’ Then why hasn’t anybody done it,” Whittaker asked? “Why hasn’t anybody done it? If it’s that simple, why has nobody in the history of Adesanya’s career just taken him down and held him down for five rounds? Why? Because he’s fucking hard to take down. You know what I mean? He is a nightmare to take down. He’s got long limbs, he’s got long arms, and I’m pretty sure he works a little bit of wrestling defense. I have an inkling that that’s what he does, he works a little bit on his wrestling defense because he’s so good at striking he doesn’t want to get taken down.”‘

After Adesanya’s recent fights with Jan Blachowicz and Marvin Vettori, fans seemingly don’t respect Adesanya’s takedown defense in the same way that they may have done before. However, Whittaker is fully aware of how difficult it will be to take Adesanya down at UFC 271.

“When I see people just like, ‘oh, it’s simple, just take him down.’ Yeah, it is simple,” Whittaker said. “You know what else is simple? Go and get a piece of paper, write down a game plan and say, punch him in the chin. That’s a simple game plan that is a surefire way to win. It’s a little harder to pull off when you have all the factors of a title fight going through there. Because remember, where it’s not like a game plan where you give to someone and then all they have to do is execute that game plan on a dummy that isn’t moving, that isn’t trying to actively counteract whatever the hell it is you’re doing.”

Whittaker was unsuccessful in his attempt to defend his title against Adesanya in October 2019 but has been able to study and learn from Adesanya’s fights in the time since the pair first clashed. Of course, Adesanya’s defeat to Jan Blachowicz highlighted some areas of opportunity for Whittaker but it was the Marvin Vettori fight, as well, that proved to be useful for Whittaker’s preparation before UFC 271.

“Obviously when he lost to the Jan. Everyone knew he was beatable then, cause he got beat. But, there were just stylistically, I could see some angles that Jan could capitalize on that I thought, you know what, maybe I can capitalize on those as well. And again when he fought for Vettori I thought the same thing. I saw places where Vettori took advantage, spaces were Vettori took advantage of, and I thought, well, I can do that better.

“And that’s not to say that he’s got huge gaping holes. He’s the champion for a reason, he’s bloody good at his craft. But I just feel like I have a skillset that if he slips up, I’m going to take everything away from him. And I look to try and make him make a mistake.”

You can order the UFC 271 PPV on ESPN+ here to watch Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 and the entire fight card live this Saturday, January 12 in the United States.

The post Robert Whittaker responds to fans saying he should take Israel Adesanya down at UFC 271 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2 is the headline bout of the UFC 271 fight card and is shaping up to be yet another fascinating title fight rematch. Adesanya claimed the middleweight title in October 2019 when he defeated Whittaker by second-round KO. Since then, Adesanya has defended the title three times.

Whittaker worked his way back up to a title shot after securing consecutive victories against Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum, all by unanimous decision.

The UFC 271 co-main event is highly-anticipated by fight fans as Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa will stand toe-to-toe in what should be a brilliant matchup between two hard-hitting heavyweight fighters.

Adesanya vs. Whittaker, Lewis vs. Tuivasa, and the entire UFC 271 fight card will stream live only on ESPN+ PPV this Saturday night.

• Existing ESPN+ subscribers can purchase the UFC 271 live stream for $74.99.
• New ESPN+ subscribers can purchase the UFC 271 PPV & ESPN+ Bundle for $99.98.

Find the full UFC 271 fight card, date, and start time below.

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
• Kyler Phillips vs. Marcelo Rojo
• 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

Early Prelims – 6:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm PT on ESPN+

• Leomana Martinez vs. Ronnie Lawrence
• Alexander Hernandez vs. Renato Moicano
• Carlos Ulberg vs. Fabio Cherant
• AJ Dobson vs. Jacob Malkoun
• Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Sergey Morozov
• Jeremiah Wells vs. Mike Mathetha

The post UFC 271 Fight Card: Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2 appeared first on The Body Lock.