UFC 271 predictions: Will Whittaker get revenge vs. Adesanya?

Ahead of Saturday's UFC 271 in Houston, theScore's Nick Baldwin makes his picks for the top bouts.

Middleweight championship

Israel Adesanya (21-1)
vs.
Robert Whittaker (23-5)

A lot has happened since Adesanya and Whittaker first met in the Octagon, so fans could be in for a much different fight than what they witnessed in 2019.

Whittaker has performed remarkably well since losing the middleweight title to Adesanya by second-round knockout, and he stands to do a lot better in the rematch. Whittaker has a high fight IQ, so expect him to make some serious adjustments and take a different approach.

In the first fight, Whittaker repeatedly went for big shots without much success. He'll stay much more composed and look to score points with jabs and kicks. Also, mixing in his wrestling game will be almost vital to winning the fight - either to set up attacks on the feet or to get Adesanya to the ground and control him.

That said, Adesanya still has to be favored. He's one of the UFC's best strikers and has greatly improved his takedown defense since making his Octagon debut in 2018.

He handled Whittaker on the feet with ease in 2019, and while Whittaker should make it a lot closer this time, Adesanya will have what it takes to win again.

The pick: Adesanya, unanimous decision

Heavyweight bout

Derrick Lewis (26-8, 1 NC)
vs.
Tai Tuivasa (14-3)

This is the perfect matchup for Lewis.

Tuivasa has knockout power, so, yes, he could catch Lewis and put him away. After all, this is the heavyweight division - anything can happen.

But Lewis has the edge against anyone in this kind of stylistic matchup. Tuivasa is somewhat of a brawler like Lewis. He's not going to stand back and pick Lewis apart like Ciryl Gane. He's going to go in and look for the kill shot. And that's where he'll fall.

Tuivasa has looked a lot better in recent years and might be a heavyweight contender in the making. But for now, Lewis will once again show that he's the master of the brawl, that he's significantly better than someone at Tuivasa's level, and that he's the knockout king.

The pick: Lewis, first-round knockout

Middleweight bout

Jared Cannonier (14-5)
vs.
Derek Brunson (23-7)

This is the toughest call of the three top fights at UFC 271.

Brunson has been on a roll, winning five straight against the likes of Darren Till, Kevin Holland, and Edmen Shahbazyan - and usually as the betting underdog, which makes his run even more impressive.

But Cannonier is a tougher matchup than anyone Brunson has beaten recently and should be the one to bring Brunson's winning streak to an end.

On the feet, Cannonier is more technical. So, more often than not, unless Brunson hurts him with a big punch, Cannonier will win the exchanges. The fight will come down to whether Brunson can get it to the ground and either hold Cannonier there or continue getting takedowns in at least two of the three rounds.

There's a chance Brunson's pressure combined with Cannonier's relatively low output will allow Brunson to suffocate his opponent, but Cannonier's defense should hold up. If it does, he'll land the more impactful shots in a competitive fight.

The pick: Cannonier, unanimous decision