Preview: UFC Vegas 108 ‘Taira vs. Park’

Featherweights

Kevin Vallejos (15-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Danny Silva (10-1, 2-0 UFC)

Odds: Vallejos (-450); Silva (+325)

Like several fights at UFC Vegas 108, the main card opener features a promising prospect against a very promising one. Vallejos is a bit undersized—or undertall, at least—for the division, a burly, athletic ball of muscle. However, considering how much success fighters like Alexander Volkanovski, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and Ilia Topuria have had at featherweight over the last five years or so, maybe that isn’t such a handicap.

Vallejos explodes into his shots, delivering serious power in punches as well as kicks without (usually) overswinging. He uses a brute-force approach to get into range against taller fighters, relying on aggression and speed to get him past the first line of defense. Once in the phone booth, he works the body with combinations and tries to do damage in the clinch before separating. He has blitzed his first two UFC opponents in the first round, not needing to show much of his wrestling or grappling along the way, but he is very comfortable there, if his showing against overmatched opposition in South America is any indication.

Silva is much bigger than Vallejos, not quite as dynamic, but has developed an undeniably effective approach built around marching forward, throwing lots of volume, and taking a few shots in order to land more of his own. Silva’s ceiling in the UFC figures to come when he runs into fighters who either hit much harder than he does, can match his output without being overwhelmed, or both.

Unfortunately for Silva, Vallejos might be both, and the wide betting line here reflects that. There are lots of question marks about these two relatively fresh prospects, and if this fight goes to the ground we are likely to learn something about one or both of them, but the pick here is that we don’t get there. Vallejos by Round 2 knockout.



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Taira vs. Park
Rebecki vs. Duncan
Brener vs. Ribovics
Rosa vs. Cornolle
Magny vs. Zaleski dos Santos
Vallejos vs. Silva
The Prelims