Derek Brunson says he isn’t going to lose to anything less than a lucky shot at UFC 271. UFC 271 is set for Saturday night, and one of the most anticipated middleweight fights of the year is slated between Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier. Brunson is coming into this fight with Cannonier riding high on…
Derek Brunson says he isn’t going to lose to anything less than a lucky shot at UFC 271.
UFC 271 is set for Saturday night, and one of the most anticipated middleweight fights of the year is slated between Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier.
Brunson is coming into this fight with Cannonier riding high on confidence. He believes he has what it takes to get the victory and set his sights on a title shot. In the leadup to the fight, Brunson spoke to the media during fight week and laid out the one scenario that he could see losing to Cannonier.
“Jared is a guy who’s opportunistic,” Brunson said. “He stings in there. But I don’t really put him as really great at any one thing. He’s just a solid, tough guy… I feel I matchup really well. He’s gotta come out and fight the perfect fight. He’s gotta like, have a little luck on his side, and catch me. Skill for skill, it’s not even close.”
Although Brunson is not giving Cannonier much of a chance to beat him, Cannonier is one of the best in the division. He is coming off a very impressive win over Kelvin Gastelum in the summer and is ranked in the #3 spot.
Brunson has seemed unstoppable in his last five outings. He may be correct in guessing that the winner of this bout will go on to face the champion next, whoever that might be after Saturday night. Brunson will be trying his best to make sure that he will be the next title challenger since his fighting days may be numbered.
Who do you have winning at UFC 271, Derek Brunson or Jared Cannonier?
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contenders Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier will square off this weekend (Sat., Feb. 12, 2022) at UFC 271 inside Toyota …
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contenders Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier will square off this weekend (Sat., Feb. 12, 2022) at UFC 271 inside Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
The rebirth of Blonde Brunson was one of the more unexpected storylines of the last two years, but it’s been a lot of fun for everyone outside of his opponents. The veteran has won five in a row, knocking off hyped-up, would-be contenders with a mixture of patience, wrestling and raw strength.
He’s hoping to earn a rematch versus Israel Adesanya with a victory.
On the flip side, Cannonier is the highest ranked contender who has yet to duel with “Stylebender.” Robert Whittaker derailed his last attempt to earn a title shot, but if he can pull off the win here, Cannonier tangling Adesanya is still a rather juicy potential match up.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
Derek Brunson
Record: 22-7 Key Wins: Darren Till (UFC Vegas 36), Kevin Holland (UFC Vegas 22), Edmen Shahbazyen (UFC Vegas 5), Lyoto Machida (UFC Fight Night 119), Uriah Hall (UFC Fight Night 94), Ian Heinisch (UFC 241), Lorenz Larkin (UFC 177) Key Losses: Robert Whittaker (UFC Fight Night 101), Israel Adesanya (UFC 230), Yoel Romero (UFC Fight Night 35), Ronaldo Souza (UFC on FOX 27, Strikeforce: “Rousey vs Kaufman”) Keys to Victory: Brunson is among the most experienced contenders at 185 pounds, having mixed it up with many of the division’s top names since roughly 2014. In his latest form, Brunson appears to have figured out when it’s necessary to explode and rely on his athleticism, and when a more patient, technical approach is appropriate.
Perhaps the biggest overall key for Brunson is to control after the takedown. At 185 pounds, Cannonier has been taken down a few times, but he’s always been able to athlete his way up rather quickly. He’s a difficult man to hold down, and when top control specialists like Jack Hermansson throw him three times only for him to pop back up, it’s demoralizing.
Brunson cannot be discouraged. On a long enough timeline, it becomes exhausting and ultimately impossible to continually powering one’s way up from bottom. If Brunson remains committed to mat returns and chain wrestling, Cannonier will fatigue and present openings for Brunson to really lock down the position.
To set up the shot, I’d like to see Brunson patient from the outside, firing his left kick often. That left kick can really do wonders to slow Cannonier’s right hand and convince him to step into his punches, opening up the reactive double.
Jared Cannonier
Record: 14-5 Key Wins: Jack Hermansson (UFC Fight Night 160), Kelvin Gastelum (UFC Vegas 34), Anderson Silva (UFC 237) David Branch (UFC 230), Ion Cutelaba (TUF 24 Finale) Key Losses: Robert Whittaker (UFC 254), Glover Teixeira (UFC 208), Jan Blachowicz (UFC on FOX 26), Dominick Reyes (UFC Fight Night 129) Keys to Victory: Cannonier is a powerhouse at Middleweight. His punches land with an unpleasant thud, and thus far, opponents have had little to no success in controlling him on the mat. It’s really proven the correct weight class for “The Killa Gorilla.”
Brunson is likely the stiffest wrestling test Cannonier has faced since his drop down to Middleweight. To avoid being planted on the canvas, Cannonier has to ensure that he doesn’t give away easy shots. Ideally, he’ll be the man moving forward, but he’ll do so from his own distance.
Range strikes will be key here. Cannonier has a stiff jab and punishing inside low kick, and he has to use those weapons to win the distance battle. If Cannonier is touching Brunson up from the outside, the onus is on Brunson to make something happen.
If he tries to push forward, Cannonier’s counters open up. If not, the Alaskan can hang back and win on points.
Bottom Line
Given Sean Strickland’s lackluster win last weekend, this bout is almost certain to be the Middleweight title eliminator … unless Whittaker upsets “Stylebender,” in which case a trilogy is likely in order.
Assuming Adesanya is indeed victorious once again, Brunson has history with the champ. Adesanya pretty much kicked his ass in 2018 (watch highlights), but that’s also the defeat that sparked the Brunson renaissance. For him to work his way back up and earn a rematch would be one hell of a storyline for the fight — better than the usual rematch story, at least.
On the other hand, Adesanya has repeatedly mentioned Cannonier as a fight that interests him. He’s the champ, and he’s beaten most everyone else at Middleweight already, so why not? If Cannonier and Adesanya win here, the sensible match up is a striker’s delight with gold on the line.
At UFC 271, Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier will go to war. Which man has his hand raised?
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 271 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV. Bet on UFC 271 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 271: “Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
Logan Paul has sued boxing Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather for an undisclosed amount after alleging he wasn’t paid for their fight. Paul and Mayweather competed in an eight-round exhibition last year in front of a crowd at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL. The bout was an exhibition, and a winner wasn’t declared at…
Paul and Mayweather competed in an eight-round exhibition last year in front of a crowd at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL. The bout was an exhibition, and a winner wasn’t declared at the end of the fight.
Boxing fans have debated the fight on social media for months, with some believing that Mayweather won the fight with relative ease. But one thing that isn’t debated is that Paul and Mayweather both deserve to be paid their fair share.
Now, Paul is accusing Mayweather of spurning him of his promised payout. During a recent press conference, his brother Jake revealed that Logan has sued Mayweather.
“He really hasn’t [paid Logan],” Jake said. “There’s a lawsuit that was opened up last week or two weeks ago. They’re pressuring him both legally and behind-the-scenes, but it’s embarrassing for Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather to not have enough money to pay my brother.”
Mayweather hasn’t publically responded to the allegations and it’s unclear whether an official suit has actually been filed.
Paul is expecting a return to boxing later this year, possibly against Brazilian boxing sensation Whindersson Nunes. He’s also previously entertained the idea of fighting MMA legend Anderson Silva in the ring.
As for Mayweather, he hasn’t communicated any serious interest in returning from retirement to compete in 2022. He seems content on promoting boxers around the sport, including Gervonta Davis.
What is your reaction to Logan Paul’s accusations?
Joe Rogan has revealed he believes the Spotify backlash he received was a political hitjob. However, he still has no issue apologising for his previous mistakes. The UFC commentator has received a lot of criticism on social media these past few weeks for using racist and derogatory terms in previous episodes on The Joe Rogan […]
Joe Rogan has revealed he believes the Spotify backlash he received was a political hitjob. However, he still has no issue apologising for his previous mistakes.
The UFC commentator has received a lot of criticism on social media these past few weeks for using racist and derogatory terms in previous episodes on The Joe Rogan Experience. Rogan was originally under fire for his comments surrounding COVID-19, however now the focus is more on Rogan’s racist remarks.
A compilation video was released highlighting every time Rogan had used a racial slur on his podcast which the comedian believes was released for him to answer for his actions.
“In a lot of ways, all this is a relief”
“Because that video had always been out there. Like this is a political hit job so they’re taking all this stuff that I’ve ever said that’s wrong and smushed it all together but it’s good because it makes me address some sh*t that I really wish wasn’t out there.”
Following on from the backlash Rogan removed 70 episodes of his podcast from the Spotify website. It was only in 2020 when Rogan signed his deal with Spotify worth over $100Million, the company has continued to support Rogan throughout this controversy.
After watching the video Rogan realised the gravity of the situation and why people were so disappointed.
“I used to say it if (I was talking about) a Richard Pryor bit or something, I would say it in context,” “Somebody made a compilation of every time I said that word over 14 years and they put it on YouTube, and it turned out that was racist as f*ck. Even to me!
“I’m me and I’m watching it saying, ‘Stop saying it!’ I put my cursor over the video and I’m like, ‘Four more minutes?!’”
Joe Rogan Defends His Covid Opinion’s
Despite realising his mistake in other areas of his work, Rogan has come out and defended his opinions surrounding the pandemic and the virus itself, reminding viewers that he is not a medical expert.
“I talk sh*t for a living — that’s why this is so baffling to me,” Rogan said. “If you’re taking vaccine advice from me, is that really my fault?
“What dumb sh*t were you about to do when my stupid idea sounded better? ‘You know that dude who made people eat animal d*cks on TV? How does he feel about medicine?’ If you want my advice, don’t take my advice.” (transcribed by MMAFighting.com)
Joe Rogan will return to the broadcast booth this weekend for the UFC 271 Pay-per-view.
Speaking at the UFC 271 press conference, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was full of praise for Conor McGregor. Having just inked a new deal with the UFC, Adesanya’s management team revealed this new contract would make him ‘one of the top paid athletes in the history of mixed martial arts.’ McGregor responded to the post […]
Speaking at the UFC 271 press conference, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was full of praise for Conor McGregor.
Having just inked a new deal with the UFC, Adesanya’s management team revealed this new contract would make him ‘one of the top paid athletes in the history of mixed martial arts.’
McGregor responded to the post from Paradigm sports to congratulate ‘The Last Stylebender’.
“Can’t wait to see Izzy Style (Israel Adesanya) back in the Octagon this weekend,” McGregor tweeted after the announcement.
“One of the true remaining high-level fighter/performer athletes we have on the roster. Don’t just fight. Perform!”
Can’t wait to see Izzy Style back in the Octagon this weekend! One of the true remaining high level fighter/performer athletes we have on the roster! Don’t just fight! Perform! @stylebender back in the Octagon this week! Only on PPV! @ufc@espn#AndStillhttps://t.co/zVYfpNDrb3
One reporter mentioned McGregor’s tweet at the press conference, this is what Israel Adesanya had to say.
“Real recognize real. We’re on the same team when it comes to Paradigm. Yeah, I think I’m in second place when it comes to the highest-paid fighter on the roster. Well, active right now,” Adesanya offered to reporters.
“Conor is a guy I’ve always admired from the jump… from the jump, when he fought Marcus Brimage.”
“He’s a guy that… he’s a performer. When he said perform, I know what he means. We know. You don’t just fight. You perform. Look at the last fight with Whittaker… That was a rockstar concert. I gave a song and dance, the whole thing.”
“So, yeah. We understand the magnitude of stepping up in the main event. Not just showing off but showing out. I appreciate Conor and what he’s done for the game. Whether you like him or not, he’s raised the bar. Even for you guys in here. The whole game is better because of him. Ronda Rousey did that in her time,” Adesanya continues.
“I look to raise the bar the same.” (Transcribed by brobible.com)
It appears there is nothing but respect between two people who have truly helped elevate the sport.
Who do you think walks away with that middleweight belt come Saturday night?
Joe Rogan has revealed he believes the Spotify backlash he received was a political hitjob. However, he still has no issue apologising for his previous mistakes. The UFC commentator has received a lot of criticism on social media these past few weeks for using racist and derogatory terms in previous episodes on The Joe Rogan […]
Speaking at the UFC 271 press conference, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was full of praise for Conor McGregor. Having just inked a new deal with the UFC, Adesanya’s management team revealed this new contract would make him ‘one of the top paid athletes in the history of mixed martial arts.’ McGregor responded to the post […]