It was a night to remember in Houston at UFC 271 as Israel Adesanya showed his class against former champion Robert Whittaker to retain his middleweight title
Adesanya’s fourth successful title defence was a chess match as the New Zealander pulled off a unanimous points win, while heavyweight Tai Tuivasa and middleweight Jarod Cannonier enjoyed huge knockout wins
With Adesanya claiming he is a level above every other middleweight, here’s five things we learned at UFC 271.
Adesanya had a different fight with Whittaker in their rematch but the result ended the same.
Earlier this week, the 32-year-old signed a lucrative deal with the UFC to extend his contract with the organisation, saying he hopes it will inspire a “trickle down” effect for other fighters seeking better pay.
He’s one of the biggest names in MMA and last night’s performance only enhanced his impervious status at middleweight.
Whittaker can take pride in his performance. He scored a number of takedowns and made the fight competitive – a far cry from their first meeting in 2019.
But, ultimately, Adesanya is on a different level and has looked dominant in title defences against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori and now Whittaker.
“We’re just two guys trying to be the best in the world but tonight, I’m the best in the world,” he said.
“[Whittaker] is a few steps below me.”
If there’s ever a fight where you don’t blink, it’s Derrick Lewis v Tai Tuivasa.
It was pulsating from the start and finished in dramatic fashion. The 28-year-old Australian left Lewis face down on the canvas following a vicious standing elbow to secure the biggest win of his career.
Tuivasa has all the potential to be a marketing gem for the UFC and will receive another big fight in the near future and is attracting some serious attention.
Dwayne Johnson, more commonly known as ‘the Rock’, was singing Tuivasa’s praises after the success, paying homage to the ‘shoey’ celebration, where he drinks a beer out of a shoe.
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I’d love to see Tuivasa fight Tom Aspinall should the Briton get past Alexander Volkov at UFC London. Watch this space.
Cannonier is operating at an elite level since moving down to middleweight in 2018. The 37-year-old is a former heavyweight fighter and has carried down the power to the 185-pound division as shown against Derek Brunson.
It was a sensational recovery from Cannonier, who endured a difficult first round before coming back and delivering an absolutely brutal knockout.
The American yelled passionately at UFC president Dana White immediately after the fight, demanding a shot at middleweight gold.
“Hey Dana, I want that shot next, I get the shot next. It’s me. Nobody else, me,” said Cannonier, and White confirmed in his post-fight media conference he was next in line for a title shot.
And champion Adesanya said he welcomed that fight too.
He added: “I like fresh meat at middleweight and I’m glad I have a new contender in Jarrod Cannonier and I’m thinking June for that one
While Adesanya was given the nod on the scorecards by all three judges, many of his fellow fighters were unconvinced by his performance.
Adesanya himself rated it a “7/10” display and there were plenty of fighters, including lightweight Justin Gaethje and retired welterweight Ben Askren who thought Whittaker won the bout
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