The highly anticipated rematch is set for this Saturday, February 12th, between two of the very best pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. King of the middleweights Israel Adesanya (21-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) will attempt to make the fourth successful defense of is undisputed title when he meets former champion Robert Whittaker (23-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) for the second time.

Preview

Adesanya emerged victorious when the pair first squared off in 2019, scoring a knockout victory in the second round after having badly hurt Whittaker at the end of the first. 'The Last Stylebender' is undefeated at 185lbs, having accumulated a record of 10-0 in the UFC's middleweight division with wins over Whittaker, Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, Marvin Vettori (x2), Kelvin Gastelum, and Derek Brunson. It should be noted that 15 of Adesanya's 21 MMA victories have come via KO/TKO, although he has also demonstrated the ability to be a smooth operator who can simply outclass his opponents en route to a decision victory. With a win on Saturday, Adesanya would stand alone as the second most decorated middleweight in UFC history, and would likely be regarded as the second best middleweight of all time behind the great Anderson Silva.

Whittaker is a former middleweight titleholder in his own right, boasting an impressive record of 11-1 in the division, with his only loss coming against the sitting champion Adesanya. Since moving up the 185lbs, 'The Reaper' has earned notable wins over Yoel Romero (x2), Ronaldo Souza, Jared Cannonier, Kelvin Gastelum, Derek Brunson, and Darren Till. Formerly lauded as primarily a finisher, with 14 wins via stoppage, Whittaker's recent 3-fight win streak is solely composed of decision victories, with each being more dominant than the last. Having undergone something of a rebuild, Whittaker enters this rematch looking to avenge his only middleweight setback and reclaim his status as the best in the world at 185lbs. With a win on Saturday, Whittaker would undeniably among the best in division history. Should he solve the puzzle that is Adesanya, don't be surprised if we see these two in a trilogy bout later this year.

Breakdown

Given the amount of emphasis placed on Whittaker's apparent improvement since their first fight, people seem to be overlooking the fact that Adesanya has also optimized his game and patched up many preexisting holes. However, Adesanya's path to victory remains fairly similar to the first fight. He will need to weaponize his considerable height and reach advantage to keep Whittaker at distance and land effective strikes, while also using his defensive acumen to land counters and negate any offense Whittaker has to offer. He will want to make Whittaker come forward for the most part, but he'll likely need to take action at some point if he wishes to win. Leg kicks have quickly become a vital part of his overall game, as he is constantly using it to score points and disable the movement of his adversaries. These will be necessary to throw off someone with the elite footwork of Whittaker. Aside from his signature leg attacks, look to see Adesanya invest in the body early on, using an assortment of kicks and jabs to drain Whittaker's proven gas tank and open up chances to go upstairs later as the fight progresses. A decorated kickboxer and arguably the best pure striker in the sport today, Adesanya must stick to his roots and lean on his strengths to halt the momentum of his Australian foe.

Simply put, the strategic approach taken by Whittaker in the first meeting was disastrous. If Whittaker is to attempt anything remotely similar in the rematch by just trying to strike with someone like Adesanya, it's unlikely that he emerges victorious. As a matter of fact, it's unlikely that he even survives the full five rounds. The lesson we have learned from Whittaker's recent win streak is that he is an extraordinary talent. He is very good at using his striking, wrestling, and every other aspect of his well rounded game to keep his opponents guessing and eventually overwhelm them. In order to win, Whittaker will need to set the tone early and attempt to establish himself as the counter-striker, a strategy used by Jan Blachowicz. Doing so could force Adesanya to be the one moving forward, which could create openings for Whittaker. Using constant feints and threatening with takedowns will also be instrumental in finding success in the striking department. Whittaker's grappling will have to come into play at some point, and the best way to score takedowns against Adesanya is to wait for him to open up with his strikes and shoot in open space. Adesanya is susceptible to takedowns in the middle of the octagon, but is nearly impossible to take down against the cage. Checking the leg kicks will be pivotal in Whittaker's path to victory, so he must look to do so first and foremost. Lastly, it is extremely important that Whittaker finds ways to close the distance to eliminate the kicking game of Adesanya, forcing him to make mistakes at close range. Although this is easier said than done.

Prediction

In terms of fight IQ and overall skill, the rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker is the best fight you can make in the sport today.

Whittaker possesses a far more diverse set of skills than Adesanya, meaning he has more weapons to win this fight. However, despite his willingness to mix things up now more than ever before, it should be noted that Whittaker is still a striker at heart, and Adesanya operates such an elite level on the feet. This should be far more competitive than the first fight, but I believe Adesanya will use his striking prowess to control the fight for 25 minutes and retain his championship.

Israel Adesanya will earn a decision victory over a reserved and calculated Robert Whittaker.

UFC 271 is set to go down Saturday, February 12th, in Las Vegas. Main card begins at 10pm, ET.