The final fight card from Fight Island features an interesting main event for the middleweight division. While champion Israel Adesanya is scheduled to take on Paulo Costa in September, the man he took the title from, Robert Whittaker, is looking to get back in the win column.
Whittaker is fighting for the first time since losing the championship to Adesanya this past October, a brutal second-round knockout loss. The defeat snapped a nine-fight winning streak for Whittaker, and perhaps more importantly, causing Whittaker to realize the demands of the sport had left him suffering from severe burnout. Whittaker withdrew from a planned UFC 248 bout with Jared Cannonier and set out to get his mind right.
Standing across the Octagon will be a brash Englishman looking to make a statement in a new weight class in Darren Till. The former welterweight title challenger made his way to a title shot despite issues making the 170-pound limit. Now back at 185 pounds, Till could be closing in on another title opportunity with a win over the former champion on Saturday after scoring a split decision win over Kelvin Gastelum in his last appearance.
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Here’s the fight card for UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till with the latest odds from William Hill Sportsbook.
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Till card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
|
Robert Whittaker -135 |
Darren Till +115 |
Middleweight |
|
Mauricio Rua -190 |
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira +160 |
Light heavyweight |
|
Alexander Gustafsson -340 |
Fabrico Werdum +270 |
Heavyweight |
| Marina Rodriguez -180 | Carla Esparza +155 | Women’s strawweight |
| Paul Craig -135 | Gadzhimurad Antigulov +115 | Light heavyweight |
| Alex Oliveira -170 | Peter Sobotta +145 | Welterweight |
| Khamzat Chimaev -1200 | Rhys McKee +750 | Welterweight |
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Till viewing information
Date: July 25 | Start time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Flash Forum — Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
TV Channel: ESPN | Stream: ESPN+
Prediction
Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till: The great unknown coming into the fight is where Whittaker is mentally. When he stepped away from training, he said every sacrifice he made was like “another knock” on him and his family. Those sacrifices, no matter how unfair, are what drove him to the top of the middleweight division. Till’s offensive output can dip to frustrating lows during fights and an on-point Whittaker would eat that style alive. Pick: Whittaker via TKO4
Who will win Till vs. Whittaker, and how exactly will each fight on the card end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight on Saturday, all from the accomplished expert who’s up more than $20,000 and has nailed 14 of the last 15 main events.
