The upcoming UFC 314 event has everyone’s attention riveted on the featherweight section, and all eyes are on Jean Silva, the rising contender. Many fans and pundits have been quick to predict Silva’s win against Bryce Mitchell, considering the Brazilian fighter’s imposing odds. Mitchell’s recent performances, particularly against heavy hitters like Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria, have been less than stellar, further bolstering Silva’s prospects.
Arnold Allen, however, the featherweight contender currently sitting at the No.7 spot in UFC rankings, offers a different perspective. He suspects that Silva’s fight strategy may leave him more vulnerable to Mitchell’s takedowns than most people assume. This insight derives from Allen’s assessment of Silva’s UFC 303 match against Charles Jordain.
“It’s a challenging aspect,” Allen notes. Silva tends to lean heavily on his back foot during fights in an attempt to slip away from his opponent’s advances. This strategy, while it may have worked for certain fights, has featured prominently in many of his engagements, making it a predictable move.
Silva’s expertise in maintaining distance from his opponents is well-established. However, Allen points out that staying on the back foot and leaving the lead leg exposed could be an open invitation for a wrestler like Bryce Mitchell to secure a takedown. This was confirmed when Charles Jordain managed a successful takedown against Silva in their match.
Allen maintains that Bryce Mitchell, with his well-known wrestling expertise, is likely to follow Jordain’s playbook and secure a takedown against Silva. Mitchell had a rough time during his UFC 296 fight against Josh Emmett, where he was knocked out and unable to leverage his wrestling skills against Emmett’s pressure-driven fight style.
Silva, like Emmett, brings a pressure-heavy style to the fight, but Arnold Allen insists on significant differences between the two approaches. “Emmett is challenging to prepare for,” he says. “He has the ability to knock you out with either hand, he’s compact in form, and it’s difficult to land a shot against him. His movements are incredibly unpredictable, enabling him to cover a considerable distance.”
Comparing this to Silva’s style, Allen offered: “Silva too, has amazing mobility, moving fluidly around the arena. His balance is commendable, and his approach is linear… Accordingly, I believe Bryce Mitchell may find it easier to use his wrestling tactics against Silva.”
However, Allen doesn’t entirely discount Silva’s abilities. While he anticipates that Mitchell may succeed in pinning Silva down, he expects Silva’s skill at warding off wrestling attacks to play a significant role in shaping the fight’s outcome.
The UFC 314 event is scheduled to transpire on April 12, guaranteed to offer a feast of fights for the spectators. The main highlight of that night is going to be the fierce clash for the vacant featherweight title between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes.
Alongside this much-anticipated match, Jean Silva and Bryce Mitchell’s featured fight on the main card is creating its own buzz. With contradicting predictions from UFC watchers and fighters alike, this fight is poised to be a crucial one, adding intrigue to the mix.
The post UFC 314 Spotlight: Will Silva’s Takedown Vulnerability be Mitchell’s Advantage? appeared first on Real News Now.
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