It's been two years and four months since their first encounter, but Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker meet once again for the undisputed UFC middleweight title on Saturday night.
Adesanya was victorious in October 2019 with a second round stoppage and took advantage of a rusty Whittaker. The former champion was returning from a year long lay off following emergency surgery and felt burnt out inside the Octagon.
Since the first fight at UFC 243, Adesanya has established himself as the best middleweight in the UFC while also challenging for the light heavyweight title. Whittaker meanwhile took some to recover and has enjoyed a fine comeback so far with wins over Darrent Till, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum.
With this being a huge UFC rematch, there are certainly plenty of bets to be made. Let's take a look at some of them.
UFC 271 odds
Israel Adesanya: 1/3
Robert Whittaker: 12/5
BetMGM (as of Wednesday, Feb. 9) has Adesanya as the favourite at 1/3, meaning that you would need to bet $300 to win $100. Whittaker on the other hand is priced at 12/5, meaning you would have to beat $50 to win $120.
UFC 271 Prediction
If the first between these two was anything to go by, then MMA fans should be in for a cracker come February 12th.
The two fighting styles Adesanya and Whittaker posses should make for an intriguing contest. Both men like to come forward, seek out counters and capitalise on any mistakes made by their opponent.
It will be interesting to see whether the Australian looks to avoid Adesanya's dangerous strikes and instead opts to focus on wrestling, testing the UFC middleweight champion's takedown defence and whether he has the ability to get back onto his feet.
Very little splits these two, and Whittaker comes into this fight much improved following the first encounter, but it will all hinge on whether he can implement a ground game against Adesanya. However, thanks to former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, Whittaker has a blueprint when it comes to beating Adesanya.
Astbury's pick: Robert Whittaker
Best odds: 12/5