5 bold predictions for UFC 271

#4. Derek Brunson will beat Jared Cannonier at UFC 271

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Derek Brunson has recently caught a second wind in his UFC career and has been dominating his opposition with his wrestling skills. The 38-year-old is currently on a five-fight win streak in the 185-pound division. This includes wins over highly skilled fighters like Kevin Holland and Darren Till.

Jared Cannonier's run as a middleweight is nothing short of impressive either. 'The Killa Gorilla' has got his hand raised in four out of his five bouts as a 185-pounder. Cannonier has wins over some renowned names like Anderson Silva, Jack Hermansson and Kelvin Gastelum.

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The matchup is important for the division as the winner of the fight could very well be next in line for a title shot. Looking at his current run, Brunson has clearly learned from his mistakes against Whittaker and Adesanya, two men fighting for the belt at UFC 271.

So, considering the stylistic matchup, it is highly likely that Brunson will go on to overwhelm Cannonier with his grappling and score a decision victory at UFC 271.

#3. Kyler Phillips vs Marcelo Rojo will be the 'Fight of the Night' at UFC 271

The two lesser known names that you will find on the main card of UFC 271 are Kyler Phillips and Marcelo Rojo. What these two bantamweights lack in popularity, they more than make up for in the entertainment section.

Phillips has had four octagon appearances and has won three of them. In those four fights, 'Matrix' has won two 'Performance of the Night' and one 'Fight of the Night' bonus.

Rojo also has an exciting fighting style, as is evident from his MMA record. 'Pitbull' has 16 wins as a professional fighter and 14 of those have been finishes (eight knockouts and six submissions).

So there is a very low chance of this bantamweight scrap turning out to be a dull affair. Both fighters will bring their 'A' game on fight night and will likely take home the 'Fight of the Night' honor.

About the author

Puneet has a total of 2.5 years of experience and specializes in reporting on MMA and boxing for Sportskeeda. He holds a postgraduate diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication, which aided him in his writing skills.

The iconic interim featherweight title fight between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes at UFC 189 in 2015 ignited Puneet’s passion for the sport. Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira stands out as Puneet’s favorite MMA fighter as he's drawn to 'Do Bronx's' captivating background story and entertaining persona. He is a believer of MMA being the world’s no.1 combat sport as opposed to Boxing.

While writing, Puneet ensures that his articles stay true to their titles and deliver valuable information to readers. He emphasizes the importance of embedding videos or pictures directly from their original sources to enrich the reader's experience.

Puneet’s professional achievements include covering major events such as UFC 264 and several boxing matches featuring renowned fighters like Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua.

Beyond MMA, Puneet likes to watch movies.

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Edited by John Cunningham