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UFC 271 results: Israel Adesanya beats Robert Whittaker in close contest, retains middleweight title

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Daniel Yanofsky
• 15 min read
Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker
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In a rematch that had high expectations, Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker gave it their all Saturday night. In the end, Adesanya beat Whittaker via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) inside the Toyota Center in Houston at UFC 271. 

In their first fight, at UFC 243, Whittaker was eager to play Adesanya's game. This time, Whittaker was patient with his offense — perhaps too patient, as each time he landed a shot he never took advantage. Meanwhile, Adesanya used leg kicks to swell Whittaker's legs and multiple jabs to land a number of significant strikes. 

Adesanya opened Round 1 with multiple high leg kicks. Whittaker attempted multiple takedowns in the round but missed. Adesanya was patient with his strikes, landing volume blows when he felt the moment was right.

It looked in Round 2 as if Whittaker was already gassed. He did clip Adesanya in the middle of the round, however. He also landed a takedown that was short-lived, but he continued to hold onto Adesanya. Adesanya landed a head kick and another kick to the legs. At this point, Whittaker's legs looked swollen. Whittaker appeared to still be hesitant despite having multiple opportunities.

Those same opportunities were there for Whittaker in Round 3 as he connected on a few more jabs. Whittaker was able to drop Adesanya late in the round, but Adesanya continued the theme of breaking through and moving to his feet. He was poised as he went back to leg kicks. In Round 4, Adesanya attempted to halt any Whittaker momentum with leg kicks. Whittaker ended up on Adesanya's back following a takedown but once again could not take advantage. Jabs continued to rain down from both fighters as the fourth came to a close.

Once again, Whittaker opened up Round 5 with solid jabs. Whittaker landed another big takedown and would not let go. This was Whittaker's best round, even though he was reserved with his power. Both fighters embraced as the fight came to a close.

Adesanya has now successfully defended the middleweight title four times. He ended Whittaker's three-fight win streak. 

Adesanya, who seemed reserved himself at times, said after the fight that he was ready to get back to action in June. His opponent will most likely be Jared Cannonier, who beat Derek Brunson earlier in the night. 

Sporting News provided live updates from Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2 and the entire main card of UFC 271. Here's how it went down (all times Eastern):

MORE: Roxanne Modafferi on her last fight at UFC 271, favorite moments, anime

UFC 271 live updates, highlights from Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2

Israel Adesanya def. Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision to retain the UFC middleweight title (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)

12:55 a.m.: Whittaker lands solid jabs to open Round 5. Adesanya answers with kicks to the body. The former champion lands a big jab that pushes Adesanya's head back. Adesanya blocks the single-leg takedown and accidentally pokes Whittaker in the eye. Whittaker with a takedown and locks his hands around Adesanya on their feet. Big left by Whittaker and he lands a few jabs. Whittaker has Adesanya by the cage and holds him there to end the fight. 10-9, Whittaker (48-47, Whittaker) 

Adesanya won via unanimous decision.

12:45 a.m.: Adesanya with multiple leg kicks to open Round 4. Whittaker takes down Adesanya again and is now on his back while Adesanya is up. Off his back, Whittaker continues to use the jab. Adesanya hits that right hand following a leg kick. Both exchange jabs. 10-9, Whittaker (38-38) 

12:40 a.m.: Whittaker lands a jab to open Round 3 but is a little hesitant. Jab by Whittaker, but Adesanya lands one of his own. Another takedown attempt by Whittaker, but Adesanya blocks and lands a knee. A kick attempt is blocked and Adesanya gets dropped by Whittaker. Back up, Adesanya lands a low kick that tripped Whittaker. Whittaker pushes Adesanya back and lands a sharp jab. 10-9, Adesanya (29-28, Adesanya)  

12:30 a.m.: Adesanya looks like the fresher man to open Round 2. The champion continues to punish Whittaker with leg kicks. Whittaker tries to take chances and lands a few shots to the face. Adesanya, however, lands blows at the same time. Whittaker lands a jab and almost clips Adesanya. He does land a left and another counter shot. Takedown by Whittaker finally drops Adesanya, but the latter gets back up. Whittaker holds onto Adesanya by the cage. Now back in the center of the Octagon, Adesanya goes back to the kicks. Big head kick by Adesanya and another leg kick. Whittaker's leg is now swollen. 10-9, Whittaker (19-19) 

12:20 a.m.: The main event has arrived: Robert Whittaker faces UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Both fighters tried leg kicks to start. Whittaker is not rushing in as Adesanya lands a solid jab and goes for a head kick. Adesanya with a multiple high leg kicks. Big left knocks Whittaker down to the ground. Whittaker attempts a takedown but misses. Adesanya tries a knee but Whittaker avoids it while striking on the inside. Another takedown attempt misses. (10-9, Adesanya) 

Midnight: Tuivasa starts Round 2 with leg kicks and avoids a punch/takedown combo by Lewis. Lewis lands vicious blows and forces Tuivasa to the cage. Uppercuts by Lewis, but Tuivasa lands a big right that hurt Lewis. A big elbow lands and Tuivasa knocks out Lewis to a huge reaction. 

11:50 p.m.: The co-main event is up next as Derrick Lewis face Tai Tuivasa in heavyweight action. Tuivasa pushes Lewis back early and lands low kicks. Tuivasa blocks the hook and pushes Lewis up by the cage. Lewis tries to land major shots as referee Dan Miragliotta pulls them away from the cage. There's clinch fighting by the cage until Lewis drops Tuivasa with an inside trip. He then lands massive rights until Tuivasa trades shots with him. Lewis takes him down again but Tuivasa heads back up. They stay by the cage until the round ends. 

11:35 p.m.: Brunson immediately drops Cannonier in Round 2 but Cannonier gets back up. A big right hook by Cannonier appears to have affected Brunson, as his body language has not looked good. Big right hook by Cannonier followed by another connection. Brunson looked lost at some points as Cannonier landed big blows like a backfist that had him reeling. Cannonier takes down Brunson and then lands huge elbows that end the fight.

It should be noted that Brunson's corner threw in the towel as the referee called off the fight. 

11:25 p.m.: Up next is an important middleweight fight between Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier. Both start swinging right away, with Cannonier having the early edge in shots. He avoids Brunson's takedown game early on and again as he lands elbows to the side of the head. Brunson finally takes him down by the cage but Cannonier gets back up. The latter lands inside shots as Brunson dips forward and low. Brunson lands a huge takedown and goes for the mount. Brunson lands a counter right hook that drops Cannonier. He then goes for the submission but Cannonier is saved by the bell. 

11:05 p.m.: Hernandez with some boxing to open the second round. Inside left by Hernandez, but Moicano pressures Hernandez by the cage. He then lands the rear-naked choke to secure the win. 

10:55 p.m.: UFC 271 continues with another lightweight bout, Alexander Hernandez vs. Renato Moicano. Moicano opens things with calf kicks. Moicano attempts to take Hernandez down, but Hernandez blocks it several times. Hernandez is not able to avoid one last one as Moicano ends up on top. Back up, Hernandez jabs away and is trying to move inside. 

10:43 p.m.: Green opens Round 2 with multiple jabs, working past Haqparast's defense. He continues to land, forcing Haqparast to back up. Combination body and head shots were connecting for Green, as Haqparast could not stop his shots. Another set of combinations lands for Green, who still feels fresh. Haqparast does land a high kick, but Green does not stop landing fresh blows. Green continues to land blows in Round 3, with more than 100 head shots, per the broadcast. Haqparast was tired put still tried to push forward. Green's performance was enough to earn himself a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

10:22 p.m.: Bobby Green and Nasrat Haqparast have a lot of energy as the opening round begins. An early eye poke affects Green early, but he continues on. Haqparast ends up getting poked in the eye as both get stern warnings. Haqparast lands combinations while Green goes for calf kicks. Green then lands combination jabs before the round ends. The two exchange words before heading to their corners. 

10:10 p.m.: We are live for the main card of UFC 271. Before we get to the middleweight title fight, we have a few other bouts on the card, starting with Bobby Green vs. Nasrat Haqparast in lightweight action. 

9:40 p.m.: From one veteran to another, up next is Andre Arlovski taking on Jared Vanderaa. Arlovski starts striking right away to open Round 1. Backed up against the cage, Arlovski lands a spinning backfist before the round ends. Arlovski is hit below the belt in Round 2 but keeps on going. Playing it close, Vanderaa allows Arlovski to control the tempo. Vanderaa has Arlovski up by the cage in the third round, but Arlovski continues to land hard shots. The pace continues to favor Arlovski, but Vanderaa has a better third than the previous two rounds. Arlovski ends up winning via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

9:25 p.m.: O'Neill continues to go inside and land sharp shots in the third as Modafferi tries to get another takedown. Modafferi goes for a takedown but O'Neill slips out of it. With a minute left in the fight, Modafferi gets the takedown but O'Neill gets back up. The judges end up giving O'Neill the split-decision win (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). O'Neill was booed following the fight while Modafferi was given a standing ovation. 

9:10 p.m.: It is the last fight of Roxanne Modafferi's career; she'll takes on Casey O'Neill. Modafferi lands multiple jabs to start the fight, pushing O'Neill into the corner. O'Neill lands solid shots as a result of Modafferi pushing forward. Modafferi ends up landing a left hook that connects, and a big right. O'Neill lands more significant strikes in the first round. O'Neill is much more aggressive to open Round 2, connecting with sharp shots and a hook. She ends up going forward this time around, landing a plethora of significant strikes. O'Neill with a war cry but then Modafferi lands a takedown before the end of the second. 

8:40-8:55 p.m.: Next up is Kyler Phillips vs. Marcelo Rojo. Phillips tries to be creative early but misses several big shots. He does drop Rojo and lands a big takedown. Phillips drops him again before the end of the first round. More of the same in the second as Phillips lands the better shots. Phillips lands on top in the third and is just pounding away at Rojo. He then submits Rojo to end the fight. 

8:25 p.m.: Since the opening round, Cherant has been reserved with his offense. Ulberg takes him down late in the third to hold the advantage. It was enough for him to win the fight, with 30-27 scorecards from all three judges. 

8:10 p.m.: The prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ begin with Carlos Ulberg vs. Fabio Cherant. Cherant is hit below the belt early; once he recovers, he lands big shots by the cage. He continues to land shots as the first round comes to a close but Ulberg lands the cleaner shots. 

UFC 271: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 start time

  • Early prelims: 6 p.m. ET
  • Prelims: 8 p.m. ET
  • Main card: 10 p.m. ET 
  • Main event: Midnight ET (approximate)

UFC 271 will take place Saturday, Feb. 12, with the early prelims kicking the event off around 6 p.m. ET. Adesanya and Whittaker should enter the Octagon around midnight ET, depending on the length of the undercard bouts.

MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 271 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+

What channel is UFC 271 on? 

  • TV channels: ESPN, ESPN Deportes 
  • Live stream: ESPN+ 

The main card for UFC 271 is available in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription service for a pay-per-view cost. That portion of the event begins at 10 p.m. ET. Earlier fights, however, are able to be viewed live on ESPN, the WatchESPN app and UFC Fight Pass. 

Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.

In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus Eastlink and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass. 

  • Current yearly subscribers can get UFC 271 for $74.99. 
  • Current monthly subscribers can get UFC 271 and an upgraded bundle at a discounted rate of $99.98. They can also purchase the event for $74.99.
  • New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $99.98 for the UFC 271 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription.
Product Overall Prices
ESPN+ Monthly Subscription $6.99/month
ESPN+ Annual Subscription $69.99/year
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported $19.99/month
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads $13.99/month
UFC PPV Standalone $74.99 each
UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) $99.98, then $69.99/year
UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle $88.98, then $13.99/month

UFC 271 fight card

Main card

  • Israel Adesanya def. Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46). 
  • Tai Tuivasa def. Derrick Lewis via 2nd-round KO (1:40). 
  • Jared Cannonier def. Derek Brunson via 2nd-round TKO (4:29). 
  • Renato Moicano def. Alexander Hernandez via rear-naked choke (1:23 of Round 2). 
  • Bobby Green def. Nasrat Haqparast via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). 

MORE: UFC 271: Why Alexander Hernandez vs. Renato Moicano is a fight to watch

Prelims

  • Andre Arlovski def. Jared Vanderaa via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). 
  • Casey O'Neill def. Roxanne Modafferi via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). 
  • Kyler Philips def. Marcelo Rojo via armbar (1:48 of Round 3).
  • Carlos Ulberg def. Fabio Cherant via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). 

Early prelims

  • Ronnie Lawrence def. Mana Martinez via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28).
  • Jacob Malkoun def. AJ Dobson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
  • Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Sergey Morozov via rear-naked choke (3:34 of Round 2) 
  • Jeremiah Wells def. Blood Diamond via rear-naked choke (4:38 of Round 1).
  • Maxim Grishin def. William Knight via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). 

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Author Photo
Daniel Yanofsky
Daniel Yanofsky is a combat sports editor at The Sporting News.
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