UFC 294: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski 2 kicks off the prelims with a fight in the middleweight division between UFC newcomer Shara Magomedov and Bruno Silva. Magomedov is undefeated winning all 11 of his fights as he makes his long-awaited debut meanwhile, Silva is coming off a loss where he was submitted in round one and he has lost three of his last four fights as he comes into this matchup. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Magomedov-Silva prediction and pick.

Shara Magomedov (11-0) is a highly touted prospect that many have been raving over for a while now. He has been wrecking over in the Eastern European MMA scene defeating 10 of his 11 opponents by knockout. Magomedov will be looking to make a big splash in the UFC's middleweight division when he takes on his biggest test to date Bruno Silva this Saturday at UFC 294.

Bruno Silva (23-9) came into his UFC debut as the M-1 Challenge Middleweight Champion and quickly made a name for himself with three straight knockouts to start his UFC career. Then came a big step up in competition which had him lose three of his next four fights and will now be desperately in need of a win as he comes in against promotional newcomer Shara Magomedov in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings. 

UFC 294 Odds: Shara Magomedov-Bruno Silva Odds

Shara Magomedov: -305

Bruno Silva: +245

Over 1.5 Rounds: -115

Under 1.5 Rounds: -115

How to Watch Shara Magomedov vs. Bruno Silva

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 10:00 a.m. ET/ 7:00 a.m. PT (Prelims)

Why Shara Magomedov Will Win

Shara Magomedov is one of the top middleweight prospects outside of the UFC and he has a ton of hype surrounding him and for good reason. He is a former 18-2 kickboxer turned MMA fighter that has won all 11 of his professional MMA fights with 10 of them coming by knockout. He was already fighting elite fighters on the Eastern European scene at AMC Fight Nights as well in kickboxing as he competed against current UFC welterweight Blood Diamond, who he has beaten.

While Magomedov is from Russia, he isn't your typical Russian Sambo-type fighter. He is a fluid kickboxer that utilizes a diverse set of long-range attacks and he has exceptional movement on the feet to minimize the damage that he absorbs. That will come in handy against a heavy-handed striker like Bruno Silva. As long as Magomedov can stay technical on the outside, he has the ability to catch Silva clean as he comes within range putting him out and making a statement in his UFC debut.

Why Bruno Silva Will Win

Bruno Silva is a dangerous task for anyone in the middleweight division even someone who's as highly touted as Shara Magomedov. He came into his UFC career wrecking havoc knocking out all three of his first opponents but has since gone on a 1-3 skid over his next four fights. Even during his skid, he was dangerous in each of those four fights and it will be no different coming into this fight this weekend.

Silva just needs to land one shot clean and he can put out anyone in the middleweight division. He will need to do his best to pressure forward while avoiding the big counters that Magomedov will throw his way so that he can land his heavy strikes. If Silva can get a read on Magomedov and cut off the angle of the cage while landing heavy strikes he can be the first to not only defeat Magomedov but also put him away.

Final Shara Magomedov-Bruno Silva Prediction & Pick

This is a fantastic fight to kick off the fight card as these two middleweights come to throw down in the center of the octagon. Silva is as dangerous as they come in the middleweight division with all four of his wins in the UFC having come by knockout and has yet to be knocked out in his 32 professional fights. Having a chin of steel could come in handy against a dangerous striker of Magomedov's caliber. However, Magomedov is too skilled to let someone like Silva just march him down and land shots on him as he has done to numerous other opponents.

Ultimately, this fight is going to be an absolute barnburner right from the get-go as Silva will be looking to push the pace early and come forward throwing heavy artillery at Magomedov but Magomedov will be wise to it utilizing his speed and movement to avoid the big shots while countering Silva until he drops him and puts him away early and get his first finish and win inside the octagon.

Final Shara Magomedov-Bruno Silva Prediction & Pick: Shara Magomedov (-305), Under 1.5 Rounds (-115)