UFC Fight Night 84: Main Card Staff Picks for Silva vs. Bisping
This Saturday, Anderson Silva (33-6-1) returns to the Octagon to face Michael Bisping (27-7) as the main event of Fight Night 84, which airs on the UFC's streaming service Fight Pass. The former middleweight champion is coming off a year-long suspension after he failed drug tests for his February 2015 victory over Nick Diaz, who also failed his drug tests. The victory was turned into a no-contest.
This will be Silva's second fight since the gruesome leg break he suffered after Chris Weidman checked a kick during Silva's attempt to reclaim his title at the end of 2013. The bones in his lower left leg snapped completely, an injury that also befell Corey Hill and Gustavo "Coelho" Franca.
Bisping looks to continue his two-fight win streak, with decision victories over C.B. Dollaway and Thales Leites. His last loss was to current champion Luke Rockhold, via guillotine in the second round at UFC Fight Night 55 in November 2014.
Also on the main card:
Gegard Mousasi vs. Thales Leites
Tom Breese vs. Keita Nakamura
Francisco Rivera vs. Brad Pickett
The prelims start at 12:45 p.m. ET, with the main card beginning at 4 p.m. ET. As usual, our team for staff predictions consists of:
Steven "Faded Glory" Rondina, 15-10 in predictions this year
Craig Amos, 16-9
Scott Harris, 14-11
Nathan McCarter, 16-9
And me, Sydnie Jones, 18-7.
On to our picks!
Francisco Rivera vs. Brad Pickett
1 of 4
Nathan McCarter
Leather will be a-flyin' in this one. Both men have power in their hands, and it may be a matter of who lands first.
I think that will be Rivera. Pickett has taken a lot of punishment in his career, and at 37 years old, I think that is catching up to him. Rivera's heaters will put him on the canvas.
Rivera, TKO, Rd. 1
Craig Amos
Pickett has lost four of his last five bouts, albeit to strong competition. Rivera had lost three of his last four, also to strong competition. Both guys need to recover a little momentum. The pick is Rivera, who may have a little more left in the tank at this point.
Rivera, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
Pickett had his time in the sun, and that time appears to be over. He has lost three straight and four of five while shuttling between flyweight and bantamweight. Now at 135, he may feel compelled by various circumstances (adrenaline, hometown fans, Rivera's takedown defense) to enter into a brawl. That's bad news when your chin is getting suspect and you're facing one of the division's scariest strikers in Cisco Rivera.
Rivera, KO, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
There are plenty of ways to justify Pickett's recent struggles, but it's tough to ignore how he's a 37-year-old bantamweight that is 2-5 over his last seven. He probably won't be able to match the strength and speed of Rivera and will probably get roughed up as a result.
Rivera, TKO, Rd. 3
Sydnie Jones
Both fighters don't have a last five to write home about, but who would against John Lineker and Urijah Faber, as Rivera does? Pickett, meanwhile, last won a decision over Neil Seery almost two years ago. As evidenced in the Lineker-Rivera fight, Rivera is tough, and it was a guillotine that finished him, not Lineker's striking. If he can hang on to consciousness through a barrage from Lineker, I think Pickett's one punch power will remain missing, and he won't be able to keep up with Rivera's onslaught.
Rivera, TKO, Rd. 2
Tom Breese vs. Keita Nakamura
2 of 4
Nathan McCarter
This is a developmental fight. K-Taro is a quality opponent, and there is always the possibility for the upset. However, he is only there to gauge the growth of Breese. And I think Breese is legit. He'll finish inside the first.
Breese, TKO, Rd. 1
Craig Amos
Nakamura was an intriguing UFC prospect back in 2006, but he dropped his first three contests with the promotion, and that was that. At least until 2015, when he returned and earned his first win inside the Octagon. If that sounds like the start of a comeback narrative, enter Tom Breese to spoil it. The promising young Englishman is beginning his own ascension and will dispatch Nakamura inside the distance.
Breese, TKO, Rd. 2
Scott Harris
Boy howdy. This is some kind of squash match. Or maybe call it a red-meat match, given that Nakamura is chum on the water for Breese and his hometown faithful. With Nakamura, you could always get caught in a submission. He has what you might call a grappler's chance. It's a small chance, though.
Breese, TKO, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
The betting lines on Breese vs. Nakamura are genuinely insane right now, spread as far as -1100 vs. +700 in favor of Breese. While that 1800-point difference is a bit exaggerated, Breese is the clear favorite here. The English striker has looked downright phenomenal to this point in his UFC career, and Nakamura was selected as his opponent to continue that trend.
Breese, TKO, Rd. 2
Sydnie Jones
I don't see what Nakamura will have on Breese. He submitted Jingliang Li with a rear-naked choke in his return to the Octagon, sure, but Li literally just stood there while Nakamura took his back, leaving his neck wide-open. And Nakamura looked pretty slow in that fight. Nakamura's grappling is nothing to sneeze at, but Breese is a better grappler than Li, and he's four inches taller than Nakamura. I don't think Nakamura will be able to take him down, and I don't think his striking will threaten Breese either.
Breese, KO, Rd. 1
Gegard Mousasi vs. Thales Leites
3 of 4
Nathan McCarter
This is an interesting fight with some moderate-level implications in the division. Leites has looked good since his return to the UFC, but this is a poor matchup for him.
The speed of Mousasi will ultimately be the difference in this fight. Leites will struggle to get this to the ground, and Mousasi's quickness on the feet will negate Leites' power shots. Mousasi sweeps the scorecards.
Mousasi, decision
Craig Amos
Mousasi's recent loss to Uriah Hall doesn't inspire confidence, but lest we forget, he was winning every second of that fight except for the last few. Leites poses a whole other set of problems than Hall, but Mousasi should be able to deal equally well with Saturday's opponent. He just needs to avoid suffering a similar few seconds.
Mousasi, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
Now's the time for Leites to really showcase his expanded skill set, which incorporates better striking to complement his top-shelf jiu-jitsu. He'll make it a good fight, but it won't be enough against the even more well-rounded Mousasi, who should stay out of takedown range and pick Leites apart from distance.
Mousasi, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
I don't think Leites gets enough credit for how good he is at this point in his career. Let's not forget, he's a Michael Bisping fence grab away from being on a nine-fight winning streak. I'm still enamored with Mousasi, though, and I think he'll be able to contend with Leites on the ground and out-point him standing.
Mousasi, unanimous decision
Sydnie Jones
Despite his recent losses, Mousasi remains one of the top-ranked middleweights. But so does Thales Leites, ranked No. 10—one below Mousasi. Both have lost to serious talent, but Mousasi has faced and beaten better opponents than Leites. His loss to Hall was pretty brutal, and I think it will light a fire under him to prove he still belongs in the top 10.
Mousasi, TKO, Rd. 3
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Anderson Silva vs. Michael Bisping
4 of 4
Nathan McCarter
As I mentioned in the head-to-toe breakdown for this fight, I don't know if I truly believe Anderson will win or if I just cannot let go of the aura that once surrounded him. Bisping has a great shot at this upset, given the deterioration of Silva's physical gifts, as he has always been a reactionary fighter.
I'm sticking with Silva, as he has the advantage nearly across the board on paper. I think he'll clip Bisping and finish him in the third.
Silva, TKO. Rd. 3
Craig Amos
Silva has fought just once since 2013 and was busted for doping in that fight. He's also nearly 41 years old. On the other hand, he's still Anderson Silva. But even so, Bisping presents a real challenge for the former champion. The Brit may never have reached the pinnacle of the sport, but he's never been too far off, either. This result of this outing will be demonstrative of how far off Silva now is from his former self.
Silva, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
I don't know. I wasn't pumped about this fight when it was announced, and I'm not pumped about it now. I understand why athletes (especially the elite ones) sometimes stay around longer than is necessary, and I understand it's their choice. But it doesn't mean it's the right choice, and it doesn't mean I have to be pumped. Still, Bisping has never won a big fight, and at age 36, I don't see this being a coming-out party in that regard.
Silva, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
Not to dwell on the lines too much, but if I'm a betting man, I'm taking a good, long look at some of those +235s on Bisping right now. For the purposes of these picks, though? Silva all day.
Silva, unanimous decision
Sydnie Jones
I'll still pick a twilight-of-his-career Anderson Silva over Bisping. I think the overturned decision in the Diaz fight will inspire Silva to win in high style. I hope. I wouldn't be surprised if the tentative, reserved quality we saw in that fight is gone, or at least considerably lessened. That was Silva's return after the leg break, so it's not surprising he was cautious. Bisping is a striker to be wary of, certainly, and maybe I'm also under the spell of the Spider, but I think we'll see some old-school Silva, and he'll end the fight with a single-strike KO.
Silva, KO, Rd. 3
Odds and betting information are courtesy of Odds Shark.
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