Join us as we preview a hot UFC prospect from this week’s UFC Fight Night: Vera vs. Cruz MMA event.
Read on for our complete UFC San Diego betting guide – taking a first look at our hottest prospect of the week, Bruno Silva, and his opponent, Gerald Meerschaert. Including updated UFC odds and our free expert UFC betting picks.
Bruno Silva vs. Gerald Meerschaert
UFC Middleweight Bout
Saturday, August 13, 2022 – 06:25 PM EDT at Pechanga Arena
UFC Fight Night Hot Prospect: Bruno “Blindado” Silva
- Record: (22-7-0)
Born and raised in Paraiba, Brazil, Silva didn't intend to pursue fighting as a career; he trained in MMA in 2009 as a form of exercise. However, after the passing of his father, "Blindado" utilized the cage to deal with his loss and hasn't looked back.
Silva is a former M1-Global middleweight champion, and with 12 years of professional mixed martial arts in the bag, he's undoubtedly one of the most dangerous strikers the UFC has acquired at 185lbs.
Boasting a 13-2 pro MMA record since 2014, 11 of those 13 successes were wrapped up with Silva's devasting knockout power.
An Impressive Track Record
Since his arrival to the UFC in 2021, Alex Pereira – the current middleweight No.1 contender – has been the only fighter to stop Silva in his tracks.
Joining the UFC as a short-notice replacement versus Wellington Turman, the Brazilian instantly made a statement by ground and pounding his fellow Brazil-native to a TKO loss. Silva followed suit in his following two contests, stopping the veteran Andrew Sanchez via strikes and a fellow company prospect in Jordan Wright in the same fashion.
To his credit, Silva has been the most formidable challenge for Pereira – who will fight Israel Adesanya for the middleweight championship at UFC 281. A grappling offense prevented the No.1 contender from obtaining his usual knockout success, and it was a close decision loss that handed Silva his first defeat in six years.
Bruno Silva Fight Analysis
Heavy hands, power, aggressive forward pressure, and a backup plan in the shape of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt position Silva as one of the future middleweight division's potential stars. Aged 33, Silva doesn't have time on his side; however, the UFC has wasted no time giving him fights.
Silva's known for his fight-ending capability; however, he isn't the most technical striker on the roster. Pereira proved that Silva could be outpointed on the feet.
While I believe his ceiling in a shallow middleweight division is high, I don't visualize him as a future title challenger.
That said, Silva doesn't need fancy footwork, hip faints, or a technical approach to find the button. The power behind his punches allows him to falter in the cage to the point where mistakes can be made, and he'll still find a way to prevail.
Silva vs. Meerschaert: Our Betting Pick
Gerald Meerschaert (34-15-0) is a veteran of the sport, and it's no secret that the American-born fighter has heavily relied on his grappling ability to garner most of his career success.
The sportsbooks have positioned Silva as a significant betting favorite, and I agree with the -280 moneyline price.
Not only does Silva present excellent offensive grappling and takedown defense, but he will also completely outclass Meerschaert in the stand-up exchanges.
I expect a first or second-round knockout from the Brazilian and a return to winning ways for a fighter I believe can reach the top-10 UFC middleweight rankings.
UFC Pick: Silva Wins Inside the Distance (-170) [1.70u returns 1u] at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
UFC San Diego Main Card
- Marlon Vera vs. Dominick Cruz [UFC bantamweight main event bout]
- David Onama vs. Nate Landwehr [UFC featherweight co-main event bout]
- Gerald Meerschaert vs. Bruno Silva [UFC middleweight bout]
- Devin Clark vs. Azamat Murzakanov [UFC light heavyweight bout]
- Nina Nunes vs. Cynthia Calvillo [UFC women's flyweight bout]
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Iasmin Lucindo [UFC women's strawweight bout]
Calculators
