Preview: UFC on ESPN 25 ‘Jung vs. Ige’

Middleweights

NR | Bruno Silva (19-6, 0-0 UFC) vs. NR | Wellington Turman (16-4, 1-2 UFC)

ODDS: Silva (-155), Turman (+135)

Two years later than expected, Silva finally makes his UFC debut. Not to be confused with the flyweight of the same name, Silva fell short against Vitor Miranda during the preliminary round of “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 3, then immediately kicked his career into high gear. After working his way through the Brazilian regional scene, Silva eventually found his way to Russia and had a breakout 2018 campaign, which included wins over Alexander Shlemenko and Artem Frolov—the latter of which made him M-1 Global’s middleweight champion. That led to Silva getting the late-notice call for a UFC debut in June 2019, which, in turn, led to a two-year suspension due to a failed drug test. The UFC decided to keep Silva on the roster until now, as he will step into the Octagon against Turman.

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At just 24 years old, Turman has done well to get to this point and still has some considerable potential, though he may have gotten to the UFC too early. Turman mostly got by on the regional by being a relentless wrestler who was more powerful than his opponents—an advantage that just has not existed against UFC-level competition. That reality has stalled Turman’s UFC success. Silva’s takedown defense can be a bit spotty, but he has proven to be a solid enough wrestler against strong competition, and that is likely enough to beat Turman. While Silva can be a bit slow of foot, he still figures to get the better of things as a striker. Overall, this appears to be a soft entry for a newcomer who looks ready to make an impact. The pick is Silva via second-round knockout.

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