UFC Denver is on the clock and we’re making our betting predictions and picks for each fight of the action-packed Main Card. This next bout takes place in the Lightweight (155) Division as Denver’s own Drew Dober makes his homecoming against Brazil’s Jean Silva. Check out our UFC odds series for our Dober-Silva prediction and pick.
Drew Dober (27-13) has gone 13-9-0-1 in his UFC career since 2013. He’s gone 4-2 in his last six fights and all four of those wins came by way of knockout. He dropped his most recent bout in a unanimous decision for Renato Moicano, but Dober is fully confident on getting this win in front of his hometown Denver crowd. He stands 5’8″ with a 70-inch reach.
Jean Silva (13-2) has gone 2-0 in his UFC appearances following a contract win on Dana White’s Contender Series. Both of his first two fights ended in violent knockouts and he may sound familiar because he fought at UFC 303 just two weeks ago. Now, he steps in for the injured Mike Davis on short notice and is hoping for another wild knockout. Silva stands 5’7″ with a 69-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Denver Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Denver Odds: Drew Dober-Jean Silva Odds
Drew Dober: -110
Jean Silva: -110
Over 1.5 rounds: -115
Under 1.5 rounds: -115
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Why Drew Dober Will Win
Despite taking the loss against Renato Moicano in his last fight, Dober managed to take the fight to a decision and have his own moments throughout against one of the most dangerous finishers in the Lightweight Division. His chin continues to be an anomaly and he may have to put it to the test once again during this fight. His opponent is extremely dangerous in his own right, but Dober has far more experience in the UFC cage and has faced a much better resume of competition. Still, the wars will always take their toll on a fighter and Dober would like to escape this one with minimal damage. He’ll need to really utilize his movement and try to dart in and out of the countering shots from Silva. Fighting in front of his home crowd, he should be additionally motivated to get this win.
Drew Dober should look to use his leg kicks in varying his looks against Silva. Both men are dangerous with their hands, but Dober has the bigger arsenal of strikes with his kicking game. He’s also very strong along the fence and we really haven’t seen Jean Silva pressed like that by any of his opponents. Drew Dober would benefit from taking Silva down or wearing him along the fence in an effort to drag this fight out and tire his opponent. Expect to see a veteran game plan from him as he pivots opponents in this contest.
Why Jean Silva Will Win
Jean Silva made the most of his appearance at UFC 303, notching a win over UFC vet Charles Jourdain with a massive knockout as the exclamation point. The fight lasted less than 90 seconds and Jean Silva hardly took any damaged, slipping most of Jourdain’s punches while moving forward and putting pressure on him. Eventually, a beautiful uppercut landed and Silva capitalized on a PPV card. With Mike Davis out to injury, the UFC looked no further than to call on the services of Jean Silva to step in on short notice. He’s bound to make the most of another gifted opportunity and we’re excited to see him embrace the role of villain against the hometown fighter.
Jean Silva has a crazy amount of power in his hands and he generates it without having to load up on his shots. His boxing allows him to throw quick counters and we saw a skilled, instinctual striker like Charles Jourdain struggle with Silva’s offense while backing up. He’s expected to have a similar tactic in this fight as he expects Drew Dober to walk him down. From there, Silva is confident in his chin holding up longer than his opponent’s as we should see him welcome a high-octane scrap.
Final Drew Dober-Jean Silva Prediction & Pick
This could be the most entertaining fight on the UFC Denver card for how game both men are, how hard they both hit, and how willing they are to fight in a phone booth. Of course, Drew Dober has the hometown advantage and although he’s having to pivot opponents here, he still has the benefit of a full camp behind him.
It’ll be interesting to see how Jean Silva handles this fight after competing two weeks ago, probably the quickest turnaround since Khamzat Chimaev’s back-to-back wins just 10 days apart. Silva is the ultimate counter-puncher and he’ll be searching for Dober’s chin throughout this whole fight.
For our final prediction, we’re going to ride Jean Silva to get the win. While Drew Dober is a great striking technician, he tends to get caught over-extending while leaning forward and takes his fair share of licks during a fight. Silva is too hard of a puncher to absorb multiple times and I expect him to find the knockout win here.
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Final Drew Dober-Jean Silva Prediction & Pick: Jean Silva (-110)
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