Arguably the most cliche claim surrounding any world title fight in combat sports is the old “there’s a lot riding on the line” comment. Let’s be honest: there’s a lot riding on the line in any title fight. But with UFC 271, featuring the long-brewing rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, there was a fair amount of truth to the statement.
Legacy? Check. Bragging rights? Check. The belt? Obviously. There were also factors like Adesanya’s continued growth as a mainstream star, Whittaker’s personal journey, and the fact that the champ had just signed what was reportedly one of the biggest contracts in UFC history.
So yes, absolutely, there was a lot riding on the line in the UFC 271 main event.
The card’s notable storylines did not stop there. In the co-main event, Derrick Lewis returned, looking for a better result than in his last fight in Houston. “The Black Beast” had claimed the pressure of fighting at home had been too much when it came to his interim title fight with Ciryl Gane; would it be any less against the surging Tai Tuivasa?
Roxanne Modafferi, the women’s fighting pioneer whose positive energy had won over fans around the globe, was also set to compete at UFC 271 — for what would be the final time in her lengthy career. Counting her TUF exhibition bouts, Modafferi would exit the sport with an even 50 fights, making her swan song against undefeated prospect Casey O’Neill.
The UFC 271 official weigh-ins take place at 9AM CST in Houston, TX. Check below for results as they happen.
There were a few hiccups during the UFC 271 weigh-ins. First, Alex Perez weighed in early at 128lbs, and was given an hour to make weight. He’d never make it make to the scale. Instead, Matt Schnell weighed in late in the window, making weight at 126. Moments later, the fight was announced as being off.
William Knight, meanwhile, set a record, missing weight by a full 12lbs for a light heavyweight contest with Maxim Grishin. The fight, incredibly, is still on. Since Grishin hit 206lbs, right on the non-title light heavyweight limit, the pair will now compete at heavyweight. Knight will forfeit 40% of his purse.
UFC 271: Whittaker vs. Adesanya 2 Weigh-In Results
Main card
Middleweight: Israel Adesanya (c) (184) vs. Robert Whittaker (184) – for the UFC middleweight championship
Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis (266) vs. Tai Tuivasa (265)
Middleweight: Jared Cannonier (185) vs. Derek Brunson (185.5)
Bantamweight: Kyler Phillips (136) vs. Marcelo Rojo (136)
Lightweight: Bobby Green (155.5) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (156)
Preliminary card
Heavyweight: Andrei Arlovski (246) vs. Jared Vanderaa (265)
Women’s Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (126) vs. Casey O’Neill (125.5)
Flyweight: Alex Perez (128)* vs. Matt Schnell (126)
Light Heavyweight: William Knight (218)** vs. Maxim Grishin (206)
Early preliminary card
Bantamweight: Leomana Martinez (136) vs. Ronnie Lawrence (136)
Lightweight: Alexander Hernandez (156) vs. Renato Moicano (156)
Light Heavyweight: Carlos Ulberg (204) vs. Fabio Cherant (206)
Middleweight: A.J. Dobson (185) vs. Jacob Malkoun (186)
Bantamweight: Douglas Silva de Andrade (136) vs. Sergey Morozov (135)
Welterweight: Jeremiah Wells (170.5) vs. Blood Diamond (170)
* Perez missed weight by 2lbs, fight cancelled
** Knight missed weight by a full 12lbs, fight moved to heavyweight, Knight fined 40% of purse
