UFC 110 Matchups: Silva vs. Bisping Odds & Picks
The co-main event of UFC 110 is a matchup between top middleweights Michael Bisping and Wanderlei Silva.
This fight has the potential to be a classic as both are known for being stand-up strikers. Both need a victory after coming off losses to marquee fighters in the last year. Silva enters the fight as a slight favorite with a money line of -155, while Bisping is at +125 according to online sports book SBGGLOBAL. Here is a closer look at both fighters heading into this bout, which will take place from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia on Saturday at 10PM ET on Pay-Per View.
Wanderlei Silva (32-10-1):
Strengths: Silva is a very entertaining fighter that likes to throw caution to the win. He has good power and relentless attacks. He mixes in kicks, knees, and punches seamlessly and likes to overwhelm his opponents with his barrage of strikes.
Weaknesses: Silva has struggled with bigger, stronger fighters that can control him on the ground and also have harder punches. Also, when Silva throws caution to the wind, he tends to leave himself open to a big counter striker, which caused his knockout losses to Quinton Jackson and Dan Henderson.
Last Five Fights:
Unanimous decision loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 99 on June 13, 2009
First round KO loss to Quinton Jackson at UFC 92 on Dec. 27, 2008
First round KO win over Keith Jardine at UFC 84 on May 24, 2008
Unanimous decision loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 79 on Dec. 29, 2007
Third round KO loss to Dan Henderson at Feb. 24, 2007
Michael Bisping (18-2):
Strengths: Bisping likes to stick and move and use quickness and power to out-strike his opponents. He originally opened in the UFC as an explosive fighter but recent losses have made him look more tentative. To his credit, Bisping has tried to become a thinking-man’s fighter, but in this fight, any hesitation could end his night.
Weaknesses: Bisping struggles from his back, but he has been able to take fights to the ground and win with ground and pound. His best strategy in this fight may be to get the fight to the ground. If Bisping looks to slug it out, it could be a rough night because he seems to lack the one-punch knockout power that Silva has. This is also the second-biggest fight in his career as his first was a brutal knockout loss to Henderson at UFC 100. How Bisping handles his nerves and doubts will be key, whereas Silva is very experienced in a fight of this caliber.
Last Five Fights:
Second round TKO win over Denis Kang at UFC 105 on Nov. 14, 2009
Second round KO loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 on July 11, 2009
Unanimous decision win over Chris Leben at UFC 89 on Oct. 18, 2008
First round TKO win over Jason Day at UFC 85 on June 7, 2008
First round TKO win over Charles McCarthy at UFC 83 on April 19, 2008
Who will win: On paper, this fight seems to go to Silva as he has more experience and is stronger than Bisping on his feet, where Bisping usually likes to fight. The key will be if Bisping has matured and developed new skills in his game. Silva is vulnerable to takedowns and if Bisping can control Silva, he can get a decision win. However, look for Bisping to try and slug it out at some point in the fight, and get clipped, giving Silva a much-needed KO victory in the later rounds.