HOUSTON – Plenty went down in the second UFC pay-per-view of the year.
In the main event of UFC 271, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya successfully defended his title for a fourth time with a unanimous decision over Robert Whittaker. It was a championship rematch that stemmed from 2019, when Adesanya dethroned Whittaker to win the belt.
Aside from the main event title bout, plenty more went down at Toyota Center in Houston. Check out how UFC president Dana White reacted to some of the biggest storylines after the event:
Israel Adesanya defends his UFC title for a fourth time
Feb 12, 2022; Houston, Texas, UNITED STATES; Israel Adesanya (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Robert Whittaker (blue gloves) during UFC 271 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
“Whittaker came in better shape and obviously mentally in a much better place than the first fight. He’s a former world champion and one of the best in the world, and that’s how the fight played out.”
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Jared Cannonier KOs Derek Brunson, calls for next title shot
Feb 12, 2022; Houston, Texas, UNITED STATES; Jared Cannonier (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Derek Brunson (Blue Gloves) during UFC 271 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
“I was excited to see how that fight would play out. It was an awesome fight, and yeah – I’m not going to say no to Cannonier.”
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Roxanne Modafferi retires after 20 years of fighting
Feb 12, 2022; Houston, Texas, UNITED STATES; Roxanne Modafferi (red gloves) fights Casey Oneill (blue gloves) during UFC 271 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
“I love her. She’s a great human being. She’s always tough and durable and she brings it. She’s had a pretty stellar career here in the UFC. She lives in Las Vegas. I’m sure she’ll be around the office still. We love her and this is her house, so she’s welcome here any time.”
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Derrick Lewis falls short vs. Tai Tuivasa, loses by KO
Feb 12, 2022; Houston, Texas, UNITED STATES; Derrick Lewis (red gloves) fights Tai Tuivasa (blue gloves) during UFC 271 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
“He’s got the most knockouts in heavyweight history and he went in against a guy who’s on a five-fight knockout streak and is younger. He fought a 29-year-old guy tonight. Derrick Lewis is a bad boy and he’s been a lot of fun to have in our heavyweight division here. He’s very beloved here in the town of Houston and around the world. He’s a pretty big star for us.”