Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier meet in a high-level middleweight matchup that is expected to determine the next title challenger. UFC 271 has brought the high-level middleweight fights on a stacked pay-per-view. Brunson will be looking to keep his win streak going and fight for a title one last time. Cannonier will be hoping to spoil the party and potentially book a fresh matchup against Israel Adesanya. On paper the fight sees power vs wrestling, obviously, it's a lot more complicated than that. One of the stories going in is that Derek Brunson only has two more fights left in his career and he wants to fight for the title with a win. Jared Cannonier's story is that he's going to knockout Brunson and hope to fight Adesanya, should he beat Robert Whittaker. Let's continue with a Cannonier-Brunson prediction and pick.
Derek Brunson has been on a great run lately and will have the opportunity to prove he deserves a title shot next. The North Carolina native has switched over to primarily wrestling and has found great success with his size and strength going many fighters problems. His chin has always been a bit of an issue but his new style has helped to limit those concerns. His striking is looking cleaner and he does still have big power with an excellent killer instinct. UFC 271 will be his opportunity to book a title shot and end his career on a high note.
Jared Cannonier is looking to become the next middleweight title challenger with a win over Derek Brunson at UFC 271. He's had a lot of success at middleweight since dropping down from light heavyweight and heavyweight. Cannonier's only loss in the division has come against Robert Whittaker at UFC 254. That loss would make things tricky for him if Whittaker beats Israel Adesanya and the UFC opts for an immediate rematch. Cannonier has big power and an intimidating style of fighting. He'll be looking to make a statement at UFC 271.
Here is how FanDuel has the Cannonier-Brunson UFC 271 odds.
UFC 271 Odds: Cannonier-Brunson Odds
Jared Cannonier (-172)
Derek Brunson (+144)
Over 2.5 rounds (+106)
Under 2.5 rounds (-134)
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How Jared Cannonier wins the fight at UFC 271
Jared Cannonier has to keep the fight standing at UFC 271. There's no other way around it for the ‘Killa Gorilla.' His power and patience are going to be a huge advantage against Derek Brunson. Brunson will be fighting hard to get the fight to the ground, Cannonier will have some openings to land a big shot at some point. Brunson's durability has been in question for many fights and it's a big reason Cannonier is the favorite. The fight will most likely stay on the feet for a good portion of the first round but that will change when Brunson feels Cannonier's power early. The plan will be for Cannonier to defend the takedown while looking to land something clean. The most likely path to victory for the Arizona resident is to land a big punch that puts Brunson out.
How Derek Brunson wins the fight at UFC 271
Derek Brunson has spent most of his career attempting to fix the mistakes in his striking. He has big power in his striking but he tends to leave his chin up in the air, the fight against Robert Whittaker is the best example. Brunson has fixed some of the issues in his striking and he doesn't rush in with his hands down and chin up as much as he used to. He has always had excellent wrestling and it's something we're seeing more out of him on his current win streak. The wrestling is going to play a big part against Jared Cannonier. Brunson can always land something big and finish the fight. Submissions are around in case he gets Cannonier on the ground in a bad position. Brunson is big and strong and could be a problem for Cannonier in the wrestling department. The most likely outcome is Derek Brunson makes it ugly and wins a wrestling-heavy fight after surviving some big shots.
Final Cannonier-Brunson Prediction & Pick: Brunson (+144) by decision using his wrestling.
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