UFC Vegas 84: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker continues on the prelims with a fight in the featherweight division between Westin Wilson and promotional newcomer Jean Silva. Wilson was brutally finished in his UFC debut in his last fight meanwhile, Silva is riding an eight-fight winning streak coming into his UFC debut this weekend. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Wilson-Silva prediction and pick.
Westin Wilson (16-8) did not have the UFC debut that he expected. He was brutally finished by Joanderson Brito in the first round and now will seek redemption this weekend against newcomer and Contender Series alumni Jean Silva. Wilson will need to get back into the win column in a big way to keep his spot on the UFC roster at UFC Vegas 84.
Jean Silva (11-2) went to war for three full rounds against fellow prospect Kevin Vallejos which ultimately secured him a UFC contract. His forward pressure and willingness to go toe-to-toe against his opposition was what won Dana White and the matchmakers over to get him signed to the world’s biggest promotion. Silva will look to put the featherweight division on notice when he steps into the octagon in the very familiar Apex when he takes on Westin Wilson this weekend.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 84 Odds: Westin Wilson-Jean Silva Odds
Westin Wilson: +625
Jean Silva: -950
Over 1.5 rounds: +270
Under 1.5 rounds: -375
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Why Westin Wilson Will Win
Westin Wilson came into his UFC debut riding a three-fight winning streak but ultimately succumbed to a brutal knockout at the hands of the surging Joanderson Brito. Wilson is on the older side when it comes to prospects at 34 years old but nonetheless, the UFC gave him the opportunity to step in on short notice after Khusein Askhabov had to withdraw from his bout.
Wilson was originally scheduled to fight against Gabriel Santos this weekend but Santos had to withdraw due to injury and now faces off against Jean Silva. He does his best work on the mat with 11 of his 16 victories coming by submission. Wilson will need to get this fight to the mat as early as he possibly can because he has yet another dangerous striker standing in front of him. If Wilson can avoid being yet another punching bag and get this fight to the mat he has a chance of scoring the biggest upset on this weekend’s fight card.
Why Jean Silva Will Win
Jean Silva got his chance to fight for the UFC by competing in the last season of the Contender Series. He made the most of that opportunity with a back-and-forth battle with Kevin Vallejos. Silva was able to push a pace that Vallejos was not able to keep up with for the entirety of the fight and ultimately Silva was able to get the unanimous decision victory.
Silva was given the opportunity to step in for Gabriel Santos on short notice for his UFC debut when he takes on Westin Wilson. On paper, Silva is the far superior striker with dynamite in all of his limbs. He also trains with a good team The Fighting Nerds and has the grappling background to keep this fight in his wheelhouse on the feet. As long as Silva keeps this fight on the feet he should be able to knock Wilson into oblivion much like Brito did to him.
Final Westin Wilson-Jean Silva Prediction & Pick
This should be a very interesting matchup for however long it lasts. Wilson is tall and long for the featherweight division at 6’1″ and will have some size on Silva as he will need to utilize that length to keep away from the power that Silva possesses. He will need to do that but also take this fight to the mat any way possible or it might not end well for him.
As for Silva, he will need to just do what he does best and that is to be the aggressor and press forward throwing heat much like he did against Vallejos. Ultimately, it’s hard to expect a different outcome from Wilson’s debut fight in the UFC as this is a very similar fight against a very dangerous striker who can also grapple Silva, expect Silva to come out throwing heavy leather and defend the takedowns that Wilson will attempt to throw his way until he lands something flush on Wilson knocking him out in brutal fashion.
Final Westin Wilson-Jean Silva Prediction & Pick: Jean Silva (-950), Under 1.5 Rounds (-375)
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