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UFC Jacksonville: Emmett vs. Topuria is finally here as we bring you a prediction and pick for the opening fight of the Main Card in the Middleweight (185 lb) Division. No. 13 ranked Brendan Allen will take on Brazil's Bruno Silva. The Main Card kicks off on ABC at 3pm ET/12pm PT! Check out our UFC odds series for our Allen-Silva prediction and pick.
Brendan Allen is 21-5 as a mixed martial artist and has gone an impressive 9-2 in his UFC tenure. A 2021 graduate of Dana White's Contender Series, Allen has been extremely active and is willing to take a fight anywhere, anytime. Allen has seen a resurgence in his fight game and has won his last four consecutive bouts. His fight with Jack Hermansson was cancelled for earlier this month, so Allen will pivot and put his win streak (and ranking) on the line against Bruno Silva. Allen stands 6'2″ with a 75-inch reach.
Bruno Silva is 23-8 as a professional fighter and has gone 4-2 since joining the UFC. He's had a long career fighting in Brazil and brings his all-or-nothing style to the UFC. After losing to Alex Pereira and Gerald Meershaert, Silva was able to get back on track with a sensational knockout of Brad Tavares. He'll come into this one looking to do one thing: violently finish the fight. Silva stands 6'0″ with a 74-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Jacksonville Odds: Brendan Allen-Bruno Silva Odds
Brendan Allen: -188
Bruno Silva: +146
Over (1.5) rounds: -160
Under (1.5) rounds: +126
How to Watch Brendan Allen vs. Bruno Silva
TV: ABC
Stream: ESPN+, fuboTV
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
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Why Brendan Allen Will Win
Brendan Allen has been on a tear over the last four fights and is hitting his peak performance as a fighter. While his last four wins haven't been against the best of the best, Allen fought a tough Andre Muniz in his last fight and looked dominant doing so. Allen was a sizable underdog in the matchup and surprisingly outmatched Muniz in every facet. He was crisp with his striking and managed to submit who many thought to be the best submission artist in the division. This will definitely be Brendan Allen's fight to lose if he shows up like he did last time.
With Bruno Silva being such a powerful puncher, Allen will have to focus on his defense and tighten up his arm guard. While he likes getting into ‘phone booth' fights, Allen should once again be patient and manage the distance against a fighter like Silva. He'll be the crisper striker and should look to slowly feed his jab into Silva as he walks forward. Allen surprises time and time again with his grappling, so don't be surprise if he's controlling the exchanges in this one.
Why Bruno Silva Will Win
Bruno Silva's greatest threat in the octagon is the fear that any one of his punches could knock an opponent out. We've seen him swing for the fences each time he fights and while it's worked against lesser opponents in the past, it clearly didn't work against a wily veteran like Gerald Meershaert. Bruno Silva will have to control his aggression and approach with more precise boxing combinations. Allen will use a lot of movement in the octagon, so Silva should look to slowly cut him off and get him backing up. From there, he can land his heavy shots and compromise a tested chin in Allen's.
Bruno Silva will be at a steep disadvantage on the ground with six of his eight losses coming by submission. He has no submission wins to his name and generally doesn't feel comfortable when he's on the mats, especially against skilled BJJ practitioners like Allen. With a 71% takedown defense opposite of Allen's 47% takedown accuracy, Silva could have a good chance to keep this one standing and win on the feet.
Final Brendan Allen-Bruno Silva Prediction & Pick
Brendan Allen will be in a great position to win this fight if he can be patient like he was in his last bout. He's shown a tendency to get hit and can't afford to take too many clean shots from Silva. If you're one to side with underdogs, taking Bruno Silva by KO/TKO is never a bad bet. However, for this prediction, we'll go with Brendan Allen to get the win as his cardio over three rounds will hold up better. If he's dominating by the third round, don't be surprised if he goes for his 13th win by submission.
Final Brendan Allen-Bruno Silva Prediction & Pick: Brendan Allen (-188); Win by Submission (+175)
