5 questions that could be answered at UFC 271
The UFC returns to pay-per-view this Saturday night, live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event will be headlined by the middleweight championship rematch between Israel Adesanya and former champion Robert Whittaker. The champion will look to continue his reign and cement his legacy as one of the promotion’s greatest middleweights.
The event also features another middleweight bout between Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier. There will also be a heavyweight clash between two fan favorites as Derrick Lewis takes on Tai Tuivasa.
Former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski headlines the prelim portion of the event when he takes on Jared Vanderaa. The 43-year-old is riding back-to-back wins and will look to extend that on Saturday night. This list will look at 5 questions that could be answered at UFC 271.
#5. Will former UFC title challenger Roxanne Modafferi retire with a win?
Shortly after her bout was made official, Roxanne Modafferi announced that she’ll be retiring at UFC 271. Although her record might not reflect it, she has had a successful MMA career. The TUF alum has competed in major promotions and in multiple weight classes.
‘The Happy Warrior’s' best opportunity at winning gold in the promotion came in 2017, when she fought Nicco Montano. She replaced Sijara Eubanks after she was forced to withdraw from the bout. This was significant as the bout would crown the promotion’s inaugural women’s flyweight champion. She came up short, but earned a Fight of the Night bonus.
Modafferi will be in for a tough challenge in her final bout, as she takes on ‘King’ Casey O’Neill. The 24-year-old has climbed the flyweight ranks and has an unbeaten 8-0 record. She is coming off an impressive TKO win over Antonina Shevchenko, which earned her a Performance of the Night bonus.