We're back with another betting prediction and pick for the UFC Atlantic City Main Card as we turn our attention towards this next bout in the Middleweight (185) Division. New York's Chris Weidman will face off against Brazil's Bruno Silva as two finishers meet for a war. Check out our UFC odds series for our Weidman-Silva prediction and pick.
Chris Weidman (15-7) has gone 11-7 in the UFC since 2011. He's been sliding at 1-4 over his last five fights and is just recently returning from his significant leg injury just two fights ago. He took a loss to Brad Tavares in his return fight, but he was able to make it all three rounds and put forth a valiant effort. Weidman stands 6'2″ with a 78-inch reach.
Bruno Silva (23-10) has gone 4-4 during his UFC career since 2021. After a 3-0 start to his tenure, he's gone 1-4 in his last five fights and is riding back-to-back losses against Brendan Allen and Shara Magomedov coming into this one. Still, he'll be the betting favorite as the younger and more active fighter. Silva stands 6'0″ with a 74-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Atlantic City Odds: Chris Weidman-Bruno Silva Odds
Chris Weidman: +195
Bruno Silva: -230
Over 1.5 rounds: -135
Under 1.5 rounds: +105
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Why Chris Weidman Will Win
Chris Weidman looked like an absolute soldier in his last fight and he was able to take all his punches on the chin without wavering his pressure and output. Of course, we may never see the former version of Weidman that once held the belt, but he certainly looked solid in returning from such a significant injury. He didn't look towards his wrestling all too much during that fight, so expect him to put forth a better effort here as he works for the takedown. If he's able to secure it, we could see flashes of his old self in the grappling.
Weidman went 0-8 on his takedowns against Brad Tavares and he was significantly down in the striking comparisons. Bruno Silva has a decent takedown defense rate, but Weidman will be the slightly bigger fighter in the cage. He could use his size along the fence to mash Silva and work towards a single-leg takedown. I don't expect him to have much success shooting in open space, so Weidman should look to close the distance and use his clinch game to get this fight to the ground.
Why Bruno Silva Will Win
Bruno Silva has seen a wild lineup of fighters over his last five and it never seems to get easier for him in terms of matchups. He's had to go against very hard punchers and proficient grapplers, so he's finally getting a change of pace in facing a veteran like Weidman. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts to damage after being involved in so many wars, but Silva will still be the harder hitter in the cage on Saturday. If he sits down on his punches and stands his ground in the center of the cage, we could see him notch a TKO victory.
Bruno Silva will really have to be diligent about defending the takedowns and if he can take a page out of Brad Tavares' book, he'll find success with his striking if he can keep Weidman on the feet. Silva should also look to pepper Weidman's legs and mix his strikes to the body. As long as he doesn't get caught darting in, Silva should have the better chance of stopping this fight early.
Final Chris Weidman-Bruno Silva Prediction & Pick
Both fighters will have their backs against the wall here as they search for a victory amidst their recent losses. Chris Weidman will have to either improve his striking or find a takedown during this fight to be successful. If he fails to land a single takedown, we could see more of what happened in his fight with Brad Tavares. Still, Weidman won't be seeing the same kind of power from Silva and with his size advantage, it should be easier for him to find a takedown.
Bruno Silva has been much more active and he's been seeing much high-level competition over the last few years than Weidman has. If he can protect himself and avoid any clean shots, Silva's durability and ability to counter could be the difference in this fight.
For our prediction, we're going to go with Chris Weidman to get the win here. He's as tough as they come and I can see this fight going the distance, but I think the explosiveness and activity from Bruno Silva could be too much to handle. I expect Weidman to dig deep and grind a victory here with his wrestling as he fights his last fight a winner in New Jersey.
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Final Chris Weidman-Bruno Silva Prediction & Pick: Chris Weidman (+195); OVER 1.5 Rounds (-135)
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