UFC Predictions: UFC 271: Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2

#2: UFC heavyweight bout: Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa

Tai Tuivasa has won his last four bouts in the octagon, all by knockout

While it’s unlikely that this heavyweight fight will win any awards for its technical nature, there’s every chance that it could produce a genuinely wild battle for as long as it lasts.

Not only are Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa among the heaviest hitters on the UFC’s roster, they’re also two of the more fun fighters to watch. Neither man knows how to back down and fight defensively, despite the fact that neither man actually possesses an iron chin.

Of the two, Lewis is obviously the more proven. ‘The Black Beast’ holds the UFC’s record for knockouts with a total of 13 to his name, including his most recent in December over Chris Daukaus.

He’s also picked up major wins over highly rated opponents, including knockouts of Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov, as well as a decision win over current heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou.

Tuivasa, meanwhile, is riding a four-fight win streak, with all four victories coming via knockout. He’s defeated Andrei Arlovski, Stefan Struve, Greg Hardy and Augusto Sakai. At the age of just 28, the Aussie is clearly still improving.

This one is tricky to pick due to the glass cannon nature of both men. Neither has proven to be the most durable fighter. Tuivasa was knocked out by Junior dos Santos, for instance, and was badly hurt by Hardy in their bout. Meanwhile, Lewis has suffered five TKO losses in the octagon over the years.

So will the winner simply be the man who lands the big shot first? It’s definitely possible. If that’s the case and they simply brawl until one goes down, the likely winner is Tuivasa. He’s slightly more durable than Lewis and seems to be slightly quicker, too.

However, there is an X-factor and that’s the fact that Lewis has somewhat underrated takedowns and absolutely devastating ground-and-pound. ‘Bam Bam’, meanwhile, has looked pretty poor on the ground when we’ve seen him there.

With that considered, then, if ‘The Black Beast’ can ground the Aussie, there’s definitely a good chance that he wins this fight handily. It could go either way, but Lewis via TKO is the pick.

The Pick: Lewis via second round TKO