UFC 271 | The Clash of the Land Down Under: Act II

It’s been years in the making, but we’re finally here. Almost. We’re 860 days removed from UFC 243 and oh my has the landscape of the 185lb division changed. Robert Whittaker has waited over 20,000 hours for this moment. Since The Last Stylebender became the Undisputed King of the Middleweights, he has put his crown on the line three times, winning each of them. Adesanya has been clearing out the division, but there lies one more test for The Last Stylebender. The Reaper is back for his due, trying to reclaim what was taken from him. At UFC 243, Israel Adesanya would go on to score a KO finish over Robert Whittaker in stellar fashion. The Last Stylebender nearly ended the fight in the closing seconds of the first round. He would go on to finish things in the second, landing some precise shots to the dome. He would claim the title of the Undisputed King of the Middleweights, but that would only be the beginning of this worldwide conquest.

Since their fight in 2019, neither of these two have lost a fight at Middleweight. Adesanya tried to go up to Light Heavyweight and compete for the 205lb title, but it didn’t really work out in his favor. No problem with that though, as he’s still been untouchable at 185lbs. The Last Stylebender fought a rematch in his last fight, much like how this is a rematch. Only I think Robert Whittaker has a much much higher chance of winning than Marvin Vettori did. The champ seemed to think so too, saying he was taking this one a lot more serious. We can only hope so. But I’m sure these great fans would not be opposed to seeing a trilogy fight. It is the biggest rivalry in the history of Oceania after all.

The Reaper is coming in as the underdog, and you can’t really argue with that. The Last Stylebender dominated in the first affair, and he’s definitely gonna be looking for another performance like that. I would not be surprised to see this go all five rounds, but for some reason I just don’t think it will. Adesanya has never had a head kick finish in his UFC career, and I’ve got this weird feeling tonight might be his first. If Whittaker can utilize some of his wrestling, he may gain the edge tonight. But if they start brawling, I don’t think it’ll end the way he wants. We saw that play out already. But every fight is different, so you never know. It could be his night tonight.

We’re less than a few hours away from the madness that’s about to ensue. So grab some popcorn or whatever else you need, cause this is gonna be a good one. Can The Reaper pull off what no other fighter has been able to achieve, or will The Last Stylebender close the chapter on Robert Whittaker for good? The battle for Oceania is about to begin. May the best man win.