We’re set to bring you our predictions and picks for the massive UFC 292 card from Boston, MA. This next fight takes place in the Women’s Flyweight (125 lb) Division as two fierce women will scrap on the Early Prelims. No. 13 ranked Andrea “KGB” Lee will take on the streaking Brazilian prospect Natalia Silva. Check out our UFC odds series for our Lee-Silva prediction and pick.
Andrea Lee (13-7) has split her fights in the UFC with a 5-5 record. Lee has made serious improvements in her game and it showed during her wins over Antonina Shevchenko and Cynthia Calvillo. She wasn’t able to get anything done recently, however, as she comes in off back-to-back losses against Viviane Araujo and Maycee Barber. She’ll have another young prospect on the rise to deal with in this one as the heavy underdog. Lee stands 5’6″ with a 69.5-inch reach.
Natalia Silva (15-5-1) has been able to remain perfect in the UFC thus far at 3-0. She’s a highly-skilled and energetic prospect out of Brazil that has seen impressive wins in all of her bouts. She knocked out Tereza Bleda with a spinning back kick and won her last fight with another headkick against Victoria Leonardo. She’ll hope to jump Lee in the rankings with another win here. Silva stands 5’4″ with a 65-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 292 Odds: Andrea Lee-Natalia Silva Odds
Andrea Lee: +280
Natalia Silva: -390
Over (2.5) rounds: -190
Under (2.5) rounds: +148
How to Watch Andrea Lee vs. Natalia Silva
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN App, UFC Fight Pass
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. PT (Early Prelims)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Andrea Lee Will Win
Andrea Lee is a very skilled kickboxer and a veteran of MMA. She’s varied in her striking attacks and prefers piecing opponents up with her boxing. Lee is also very skill on the mats and has five of her wins by way of submission. She does a great job of holding opponents down with her large frame and stays very busy with her ground-and-pound. If Lee can manage to control Silva on the ground and negate any submission attacks, she could see herself gain a round of control time. Look for her to shoot for takedowns if she doesn’t see any success on the feet.
Andrea Lee will have to keep her cool in this one and pick her shots carefully to have a chance. Lee does a great job of picking-and-popping her opponents from range, but Silva thrives with her counter punching. Lee will have to use her head movement when closing the distance and avoid any phone booth exchanges with Silva. Andrea Lee will also be the much more seasoned fighter and could have some tricks up her sleeve if Silva gets lazy at any point.
Why Natalia Silva Will Win
Natalia Silva has looked immensely better with each fight that passes and clearly the UFC thinks it’s time to give her a ranked opponent. This seems like a great matchup for Natalia Silva as she’ll be the much more aggressive fighter here. She brings the fight to her opponents and loves to constantly pressure with her forward movement. We’ve seen her take some heavy shots as she’s still learning to keep her guard up, but Silva has responded with resiliency and a solid chin. She came into the UFC as a lightning-fast submission threat, but she’s really refined her striking game and will be much more skilled in the stand-up this time out.
At this point of her career, Silva is finally stepping into her own and is on the cusp of the Flyweight rankings. Her striking matches up well against Lee’s and Silva will certainly have the faster hands. On the ground, Silva is very creative and can work herself out of bad positions. She’ll need to be extremely active in working her way up if Lee decides to hang on her. Look for Silva to push the action as she’s shown to have a sustainable gas tank over three rounds.
Final Andrea Lee-Natalia Silva Prediction & Pick
Andrea Lee certainly has all the tools to contend with Silva despite what the betting lines may indicate. This fight is much closer when looking at the level of experience for both fighters and it could be closer than many people think. Still, Andrea Lee is in the twilight of her career and it’s much harder to keep up with young and active fighters. Natalia Silva seems to be doing all the right things so far, but this will undoubtedly be her toughest test to date. She’s slightly better than Lee is each area of the fight, so expect her to get the win as the heavy favorite here. Let’s go with one of her finishing props as we look for added value.
Final Andrea Lee-Natalia Silva Prediction & Pick: Natalia Silva (-390); Wins by KO/TKO (+390)