Fedor vs. Silva Prediction
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (TheSpread) – After suffering his first loss in over 10 years in 2010, Fedor Emelianenko returns to action on Saturday night to face Antonio Silva in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.
View current Strikeforce Betting Odds
Fedor enters the fight as the favorite according to oddsmakers from online sportsbook Sportsbook.com with betting odds of -550 while Silva comes in with odds of +350. This bout takes place from the IZOD Center on Saturday night and will air live on Showtime at 10PM ET
HOW FEDOR WINS
Long known as the greatest mixed martial artist in the world, Emelianenko (31-2) has to rebound from his surprising first-round submission loss to Fabricio Werdum last June. Emelianenko was dominating the fight with his big fists, but got overly aggressive on the ground and fell into a triangle choke. In this fight, he faces a much bigger fighter, but he holds better technique with his striking and better composure. Fedor needs to avoid Silva’s long limbs on the ground and stay composed and with his game plan.
HOW SILVA WINS
Silva (15-2) is a large fighter at 6-foot-4, 265 pounds. His long arms carry a lot of power and his size makes him difficult to take down and control. He has shown good all-around ability in his career as he has 10 KO wins and 3 submission victories. In this fight, he will lack the superior striking ability compared to his opponent and he doesn’t have the slick submission skills to really catch Fedor off guard. Silva’s best chance of winning is to find a way to get Fedor to the ground and control him, or land some big strikes while on top to earn a TKO. Fedor may have trouble getting Silva off the top of him due to Silva’s size advantage.
WHO TO PICK?
There is a reason Emelianenko went 10 years without losing a fight and that is because he is very talented. Silva isn’t going to show Fedor anything he hasn’t seen before. While Silva always has a puncher’s chance, I expect Fedor to be on top of his game and find a way to finish Silva with his strikes in the later rounds of the fight. My pick is with the favorite in this one.
STRIKEFORCE FREE PICK: FEDOR EMELIANENKO -550
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