Early Odds and Analysis for Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Where Is the Value Ahead of the UFC 271 Title Fight?

Is there betting value to be had on the early betting odds for Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2?

The short answer is yes. There looks to be a clear betting favorite in this fight set for UFC 271 on February 12, but I’m anticipating a much closer contest than we saw last time out. 

Looking ahead to UFC 271’s middleweight title fight, it’s not a bad idea to size up the odds for the Adesanya vs. Whittaker rematch right now. Especially if it means increasing your chances of making a profit by taking the early prices.

Let’s start from the top by comparing the UFC 271 odds for Adesanya vs. Whittaker.

I’ve taken these early odds for Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2 from the MyBookie app.

It’s no surprise to see who the favorite is for the Adesanya vs. Whittaker rematch. It is, of course, the Nigerian-born Kiwi at -270. 

A successful $270 bet yields a profit of $100 if you’re betting on Adesanya vs. Whittaker going the way of “The Last Stylebender.” That’s a fair bit removed from the -130 he was heading into the first bout with his middleweight rival.

If you’re looking for odds for Whittaker to beat Adesanya in the rematch, +210 is a solid price. At this figure, the Aussie will probably catch some early action. I’m expecting his odds to plateau at anywhere between +190 to +210 rather than swell out in the lead up to UFC 271.

In other words, if you’re wagering on Whittaker, there is no harm in taking his odds for the rematch right now. You can get double the price of the moneyline by taking the early betting value for him to win by decision.

All bets for Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 are on ahead of their meeting for UFC 271 on February 12.

The second major UFC card of 2022 should be unmissable on account of the headliner alone. Still, there are some cracking bouts to get excited about on the undercard, too. 

The undercard for UFC 271 features a middleweight fight between Cannonier and Brunson that could decide the next title challenger. 

Cannonier came within touching distance of a crack at Adesanya, only for Whittaker to move past him with a decision victory at UFC 254. That fight should be a belter, with the clock ticking on both Cannonier and Brunson’s title aspirations.

You can find all fight odds for UFC 271 by heading over to the top UFC sportsbooks.

Name a more fitting venue for a title clash of the Antipodeans than the Marvel Stadium. 

Australian UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker took to the cage looking to make the second defense of his title. Standing opposite him is Israel Adesanya — a man that certainly has his fair share of supporters and detractors in the 57,000-strong crowd in Melbourne. 

In the first round, Whittaker looks a little uncertain of himself. Rather than timing his shots or gradually pressing closer to Adesanya, he throws himself at the dangerous counter-striker with little concern. It’s clear that the Australian is letting nerves get to him, but the fight is still in its early stages. 

The round sees little to no significant damage inflicted by either man as both fail in attempts to land head kicks. Then, with little time left on the clock, the challenger drops Whittaker with a sweet right hand that could have ended the bout had the horn not been sounded.

The 2nd round starts with Whittaker on the front foot, landing a crisp jab that connects. Adesanya, however, slips in a very well-timed left hook as his confidence continues to grow. Another sweet left hook lands for The Last Stylebender, ending the contest at the 3:33 second mark of the second stanza.

It’s official – Adesanya is the champion.

Since their first fight, Whittaker has compiled a strong record of 3-0 with wins over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum. 

If anything, Bobby Knuckles should be in a much better frame of mind this time around. He does look like good value considering there is little between him and Adesanya, making those odds for UFC 271 easily approachable.

Izzy over here breaking a Dragon Punch machine with 2 kicks lol pic.twitter.com/oOwZvtsSzj

— Jason Williams (@jasoneg33) January 18, 2022

Conversely, Adesanya picked up the first loss of his MMA career when he was outpointed by Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259. That loss, in his light heavyweight debut, came after two straight wins over Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa and before a victory in his rematch with Marvin Vettori at UFC 263.

Those factors aside, it’s going to be interesting to see what version of each man turns up. Who learned more from their last defeat, and can they use that to their advantage at UFC 271?

The early odds for Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 prove that the bookies are leaning towards the Kiwi keeping his unbeaten middleweight record intact, but I think we would be foolish to write Whittaker off here.

If anything, his caliber and experience should appeal to the value hunters looking to make money betting on UFC fights in 2022. Don’t take that as an Adesanya vs. Whittaker rematch prediction just yet, of course. Just something to think about before you wager on the fight.

I’ll be back with predictions and picks for Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 soon. You can find those, and a full breakdown of the fight, over on our UFC betting blog starting February 5.

Until then, why not take in a few predictions for who will own the belts in the UFC at the end of 2022?

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