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Flyweights

Andre Lima (7-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Igor da Silva (8-0, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Lima (-180), da Silva (+150)

This should be a compelling fight between debuting Brazilian prospects. Da Silva came into his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023 with a solid bit of hype. He became a regional champion at 19 years of age in 2022 and showed off a surprisingly well-rounded game given his youth and inexperience. There is still a sense that da Silva could walk himself into danger, as he does not have much of a taste for defense or what his opponent can dish out, but that can be an advantage at times. In his contract-earning win, da Silva got the ball rolling towards a finish by just deciding to march forward and overwhelm his opponent. On the other side of things stands Lima, the old man of this matchup at 25 years old. A striker by background, Lima has turned into a well-rounded threat in his own right thanks to the development of an effective wrestling and grappling game. He is the more consistent fighter of the two, staying patient and working with what his opponent presents. Lima’s own DWCS win was a fairly solid example of that. Faced with an opponent who wanted to stay at range and refused to engage in a firefight, Lima simply plugged forward at a reasonable clip and won a clear decision. Da Silva figures to be the more aggressive fighter, and a finish is not out of the question. However, the read is that Lima has the defense and durability to survive and wear out the younger prospect over three rounds. The pick is Lima via decision.

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