UFC 271 looks like an entertaining fight card with a great headliner. I have a few bets, but this is likely going to be a light week in terms of action for me.

Here are my main card MMA predictions for UFC 271.

Nasrat Haqparast vs. Bobby Green

I was high on Nasrat Haqparast a few years ago, although his last few performances have been underwhelming.

The German southpaw is most effective on the front foot, firing hard combinations in the pocket. He has excellent hand-speed and many of his shots come at weird angles.

Unfortunately, Haqparast is far less effective moving backwards and he has some clear holes in his grappling game. Dan Hooker took advantage of both these deficiencies in his last fight and I wonder if Bobby Green can do the same?

Green is a slick boxer who likes to slip and roll with the punches. He is also a strong wrestler and fantastic scrambler, but he doesn’t rely on his grappling acumen as much as he could.

Oftentimes, Green fights in a lackadaisical manner and doesn’t put an exclamation point on rounds. As a gambler, it’s frustrating to watch Green running his mouth with his hands low when he could be landing meaningful offense instead.

I feel like this is a good fight for Green, particularly if he gets his wrestling going. Knowing him, he’ll probably choose the path of most resistance and give Haqparast a shootout in the pocket instead.

Bobby Green is the pick, I just can’t trust him enough to play him at -140.

Kyler Phillips vs. Marcelo Rojo

In terms of pure skill, I’m impressed by Kyler Phillips. “The Matrix” has great footwork, an excellent vocabulary of strikes, well-timed level changes and a savvy ground game.

With a bit of seasoning, he could be a top contender in the bantamweight division.

Unfortunately, he is a bit of a front runner and tends to slow down in fights. This cost him against Raulian Paiva, although he should have won by TKO at the end of the first round (if the referee was competent).

Phillips might be too acrobatic and flashy for his own good, so he could look to reign that in.

He is only 26-years-of-age and at a great camp in The MMA Lab, so he has plenty of time to mature.

Argentina’s Marcelo Rojo is more of a stationary brawler. He has good knees from the Thai clinch and does a nice job of ripping the body (which could be effective against an opponent with poor cardio), but I think he’ll be swinging at air this weekend.

Furthermore, Rojo is at a significant disadvantage on the mat and I don’t think he’ll be able to keep the fight upright.

Fights aren’t won on paper and Rojo is the kind of guy who will fight tooth and nail for your money, but this seems like a terrible match-up for him stylistically.

I can’t pay -400 for Kyler Phillips due to concerns about his gas tank, but he should get the job done.

Derek Brunson vs. Jared Cannonier

Since moving to Sanford MMA, Derek Brunson has experienced a resurgence in his career.

At 38-years-of-age, Brunson is no longer rushing in and loading up with huge left hands. He is fighting in a more composed manner and it’s great to see him set up his takedowns intelligently.

Brunson will look for reactive shots in open space, but doesn’t need to hit a takedown instantly. So long as he can create contact, he will drive opponents to the fence and chain takedown attempts from there.

He still looks vulnerable on the feet and was close to going unconscious before latching onto an inexperienced grappler in Darren Till and finishing him on the mat.

While his recent winning streak has been impressive, he will be facing a far superior striker and proven defensive grappler in Jared Cannonier.

At one stage in his career, Cannonier’s takedown defense was completely absent. However, he has made noticeable improvements at The MMA Lab.

He was able to keep the fight vertical against David Branch and Jack Hermansson before knocking them both out.

In his last fight, Cannonier looked comfortable facing a southpaw. I liked his precise counters, body kicks to the open side as well as low calf kicks when he switched to the southpaw stance.

I’d like to see Cannonier throw straight punches to the body of Brunson (that he can’t duck under). He doesn’t need to fear the looping counter as much as the wrestling entry.

Cannonier also does a good job at fighting hands, digging underhooks and creating a wide base when opponents try to wrestle him against the fence. If Brunson wants to rack up top time or land meaningful ground strikes, I think he’ll need to get Cannonier flat on his back in open space – which will require a well-timed reactive shot.

I like Jared Cannonier here and I might be interested in betting him if the odds move closer to a pick ‘em.

Derek Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa

Derek Lewis is coming off an impressive win over Chris Daukaus, where he was able to feint and intimidate his opponent before trapping him against the fence and knocking him out.

“The Black Beast” cuts an intimidating figure inside the octagon and it’s easy to see why Daukaus fought more tentatively than usual.

If Lewis can command the center of the octagon and get Tai Tuivasa moving backwards, it’s only a matter of time before he lands an atomic right hand and ends the fight.

Tuivasa could have success with low kicks, although he needs to set them up with hands. If you throw a naked low kick and get caught with a right hand counter from Lewis, you’re taking a nap!

Unlike Daukaus, I think Tuivasa will go after Lewis and try to take his head off. Tuivasa has a good left hook and whoever lands first in a pocket exchange likely wins.

I don’t think it would be wise for Tuivasa to enter the clinch, where he likes to land knees and elbows. Lewis can generate a lot of power in a short space and one flush connection can end the fight.

I think there is some value on Tai Tuivasa at +160 in a heavy-handed shootout.

Israel Adesanya vs. Rob Whittaker

In my opinion, Israel Adesanya is the most layered striker in the UFC.

He will overload opponents with feints and different looks, chip away at range and then crush them in the pocket when they get reckless. His ability to slip and counter Rob Whittaker at close range won him the first contest in emphatic fashion.

When coming forward against Adesanya, fighters must navigate a minefield in order try and land a clean shot at the end of a combination. It’s not a good recipe for victory.

To change the outcome, Whittaker must use his complete MMA skill set and not fight predictably.

I expect him to fight more patiently on the feet. In the first contest, he was coming off a long layoff and looked nervous as he loaded up with huge bombs.

If he can force Adesanya to lead the dance, this would help to negate the reach discrepancy. He could also try to catch kicks and turn them into takedowns and throw hands to set up his wrestling entries.

Adesanya has excellent takedown defense, but doesn’t look great when lying flat on his back in the middle of the cage. We saw him concede takedowns against Marin Vettori and hit reversals, but a takedown in this fight could be a round in the bank for Whittaker.

I think there is value on Robert Whittaker at +220. If he comes in with a smart game plan, this should be a highly competitive contest.