MMA Preview – Derrick Lewis vs Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271
DERRICK LEWIS VS TAI TUIVASA FACTS
When is UFC 271? Sunday 13rd February, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 271? Toyota Center, Houston, Texas (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 271? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 271
What channel is UFC 271 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 271? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
DERRICK LEWIS VS TAI TUIVASA LOWDOWN
Derrick Lewis (26-8(1)) makes a quick turnaround after making quick work of Chris Daukaus less than two months ago. He was the underdog which was surprising to us and he handed out a painful lesson and the first loss of the policeman’s career, breaking the UFC record for the most knockouts (13). That win came in response to getting absolutely schooled by Cyril Gane who eventually put ‘The Black Beast’ out of his misery in the third round and snapping his impressive four-fight win streak.
Tai Tuivasa (13-3) is riding his own four-fight win streak and is in red hot form coming off two ‘performance of the night’ bonuses. He has also shown a lot of character as he was coming off three straight losses – Junior dos Santos (TKO), Blagoy Ivanov (unanimous decision) and Sergey Spivak (submission). After getting submitted on home soil, he took a year out, switched camps and has pulled off four vintage knockouts over Stefan Struve, Harry Hunsucker, Greg Hardy and Augusto Sakai.
DERRICK LEWIS VS TAI TUIVASA PREDICTION
Tuivasa has looked exceptional on the streak, but Lewis represents a significant step-up in competition. That said, they are two of the most potent knockout artists in the game and either man may fall.
The gaping hole in Tuivasa’s game is his grappling, but fortunately for him, Lewis will not poke that hole. Instead, he will patiently wait for his opportunity to explode with ferocious power. Cut from the same cloth but contrastingly, Tuivasa is more cerebral and likes to press the action utilizing his speed and athleticism to find the chin.
Lewis is the bigger man with a four-fight reach advantage and more importantly he has the advantage when it comes to experience. Tuivasa has the speed to knock Lewis out, but Lewis has the nous to remain patient for three rounds and unleash his overhands, uppercuts and even head kicks.
The key for Tuivasa is to keep moving and target Lewis’ legs with kicks. He will only need to land a few to completely slow him down and make his power shots more predictable and easier to avoid.
Both sluggers are obviously capable of a knockout, but the longer the fight goes on, the more you have to back Tuivasa. He is more likely to stick to a strategy and he will be able to offload the volume to win each round. However, we also understand why Lewis is the favourite as Tuivasa gets hit and Lewis only needs to land once.
Prediction: Tuivasa via KO/TKO
Value Bet: Tuivasa via KO/TKO or Decision
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