Subscribe
Follow Us
UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du Plessis will see another title on the line as the Co-Main Event features a bout for the Women's Bantamweight (135) UFC title. We'll bring you our betting prediction and pick as No. 2-ranked Raquel Pennington will take on No. 3-ranked Mayra Bueno Silva to determine a new champion. Check out our UFC odds series for our Pennington-Silva prediction and pick.
Raquel Pennington (15-8) has gone an impressive 112-5 in the UFC since her debut back in 2012. Since losing to Holly Holm in 2020, she's gone on a five-fight winning streak that's seen her take down the likes of Macy Chiasson, Aspen Ladd, and most recently Ketlen Vieira. After pulling out of her last bout against Irene Aldana, she'll look to finally cement her spot as champion. Pennington stands 5'7″ with a 67.5-inch reach.
Mayra Bueno Silva (10-2-1) has gone 5-2-1-1 during her UFC career and run to the championship. After a decisive loss to Manon Fiorot, Bueno Silva won three straight fights and got her name back into title contention. She notched an impressive submission win over Holly Holm during her last fight, but the bout was later ruled a ‘No Contest' due to a positive drug test from Silva following the fight. She'll now be looking to clear her name and come out as the honest champion. Silva stands 5'6″ with a 66.5-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC 297 Odds: Raquel Pennington-Mayra Bueno Silva Odds
Raquel Pennington: +140
Mayra Bueno Silva: -166
Over 4.5 rounds: -135
Under 4.5 rounds: +105
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Raquel Pennington Will Win
Raquel Pennington has been one of the more consistent fighters of this division over the last three years and it's finally time she earned her shot with the current state of the Women's Bantamweight Division. A lot of people were counting her out in her last fight against Ketlen Vieira, but her consistent boxing and forward pressure ultimately earned her the split decision win. With just five finishes throughout her career, Pennington doesn't pack the hardest punch and doesn't typically threaten with her submissions. She does, however, control the pace of the fight and she's not quick to relinquish top position if she can earn it on the ground.
Raquel Pennington will have to be extremely measured during this fight as she'll likely be giving up some ground in the grappling department. Silva is a master at jiu-jitsu and Pennington will have to be careful in not exposing any vulnerable areas while grappling with her. On the feet, Pennington is likely to have the faster hands and could see success if she's able to time the combinations of Silva and cut her off in her movement. She might be giving up some power, however, so it'll be imperative for Pennington to keep her guard high and avoid any clean strikes to the head.
Why Mayra Bueno Silva Will Win
Mayra Bueno Silva's last win was tainted after her positive drug test, but it can't be taken away from her that her grappling skills and ability to finish got her that win. It'll be interesting to see if she's a different fighter at all now that her tests are clean. Still, she's been knocking on the door of a title shot for quite some time now and she'll finally have an equally-matched opponent to work with. Bueno Silva should end up as the bigger fighter once we see these two hit the cage. She's extremely strong and loves to throw opponents into her clinch where she can find trips and sneaky punches through the guard. Silva is extremely strong against the fence and watch as she stays in constant activity even when in a bad spot.
To get this win, Bueno Silva will have to crowd Pennington early and land some hard shots to gain her respect. If Silva fails to gain respect on the feet, she can expect Pennington to walk her down the entire fight and keep coming forward with combinations. Silva has found success with here straight jab and strikes over the top, so look for her to feel the pace out before letting some of her shots fly. On the ground, Silva should turn out to be the better submission artist. Pennington is no slouch herself, but we'll see a clear difference if Silva is able to find top position and start chasing submissions.
Final Raquel Pennington-Mayra Bueno Silva Prediction & Pick
The is a great fight and both women are very deserving of this spot because of their recent success. Raquel Pennington has squeezed out five wins in a row and she's been dominating on the judges' scorecards. If she can negate Silva's offense and stifle her output, she could win this fight over the course of five rounds.
However, Mayra Bueno silva is just too strong and too aggressive to be held down during a championship fight. We still have yet to see what she's like in the fourth and fifth rounds of fights, but our guess is that she doesn't let it get that far to begin with. For our prediction, let's ride Mayra Bueno Silva to get the win and become the new Women's Bantamweight Champion.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Raquel Pennington-Mayra Bueno Silva Prediction & Pick: Mayra Bueno Silva (-166)
