Brendan Allen vs. Bruno Silva is the first fight on the main card of UFC Fight Night betting for Saturday night's feature.
This match should prove to an entertaining one as both guys have earned Performance of the Night bonuses in their most recent victories. Allen recently cracked the Top-15 of the middleweight rankings and will be eager to hold on to that spot against the dangerous Silva.
UFC betting lines opened with Allen as a -190 favorite with Silva coming back at +160. Here are my best free Allen vs. Silva picks and predictions for June 24.
Allen vs Silva fight odds
Allen vs Silva method of victory odds
| Method of Victory | Brendan Allen | Bruno Silva |
|---|---|---|
| To win by KO/TKO | +650 | +280 |
| To win by Points | +380 | +600 |
| To win by Submission | +175 | +2,000 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook on June 24, 2023.
Allen vs Silva picks
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
Best UFC bonuses
If you’re signing up for a new sportsbook for UFC betting, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at FanDuel can get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000! Sign Up Now
B) Get a 20% profit boost on any UFC bet every week at Unibet! Bet Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2023.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Allen vs Silva betting preview
Brendan Allen is at No. 13 in the UFC middleweight rankings and is on a four-fight winning streak. In his last bout in February, Allen submitted Andre Muniz on short notice to claim his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus.
The former LFA middleweight champ has gone 10-2 in the octagon with six of those wins coming by way of submission. The 27-year-old has elite wrestling and grappling ability and has also improved his stand-up over the last couple of years.
The 33-year-old Silva spent most of his MMA career in the regional circuit in Brazil before becoming the M-1 Global middleweight champion in 2018. That earned him a UFC contract and he knocked out his first three opponents in the octagon. Then Dana White sent him out to be slaughtered by Alex Pereira last year.
Although Silva lost decisively against the future champ he gave a decent accounting of himself and managed to avoid getting knocked out. The punishment that he took from Pereira may have affected him in his next bout when he faced unranked Gerald Meerschaert and was beaten up on his feet, dropped, and submitted.
He bounced back from those back-to-back losses by starching Brad Tavares in the first round in April to earn his third POTN bonus. Silva likes to blitz his opponents and get into the pocket where he can unleash boxing combinations with his heavy hands.
Allen vs Silva tale of the tape
| Brendan Allen | Bruno Silva | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Age | 33 |
| 6-foot-2 | Height | 6-foot |
| 186 lbs | Weight | 186 lbs |
| 75 inches | Reach | 74 inches |
| 21-5 (5 KOs) | Record | 23-8 (20 KOs) |
Allen vs Silva UFC prediction and best bet
Fight prediction: Allen
Allen is a surging contender at middleweight and he's made significant improvements from the guy that was starched by Chris Curtis and Sean Strickland. While he displayed poor head movement and subpar striking defense in those matchups, he has been making smarter decisions lately and will likely choose not to engage in a firefight with the powerful Silva.
Silva relies on his chin and power to end his opponents but Allen has a very good body kick that should be open to him when this fight is at range. When Silva closes the gap to land big shots, Allen will be able to shoot for takedowns and take him to the mat.
Keep in mind that Silva hasn't faced many grappling specialists at this level and hasn't looked good when he has. He looked terrible in his loss to Meerschaert and while he knocked out Andrew Sanchez in the third round, he was taken down seven times and controlled for more than seven minutes on the mat.
I'll back the younger and more well-rounded fighter against the one-dimensional power-puncher here.
Prediction: Allen ML (-188 at bet365)
Fight best bet: Pick
Silva has repeatedly shown that he doesn't have good BJJ and while his grappling was more exposed earlier on in his MMA career, he's still way out of his league against Allen.
Not only have four of Allen's last six wins come by way of submission but he's coming off a rear-naked choke victory against Muniz who is one of the best grapplers in this weight class.
If Allen can submit an elite jiu-jitsu specialist like Muniz he shouldn't have an issue with making a guy like Silva (who has been submitted six times in his career) tap.
Pick: Allen by submission (+175 at DraftKings)
