Lightweights
Drakkar Klose (14-2-1, 8-2 UFC) vs. Joaquim Silva (13-4, 6-4 UFC)Klose’s career has seemed absolutely cursed in recent years, so it’s nice to see him back in action to try and regain some of his lost momentum. Klose’s style wasn’t the most exciting when he hit the UFC in 2017, but he quickly made an impact as the spoiler of the division. Armed with a powerful clinch game, Klose upset the hype train of Marc Diakiese while winning five of his first six trips to the Octagon. Klose nearly made that six of seven with what would’ve been a big win over Beneil Dariush—until the Kings MMA star staged a stunningly violent comeback—and he hasn’t been particularly relevant since through no fault of his own. After a yearlong layoff, Klose was scheduled to make his return in 2021 against Jeremy Stephens, until “Lil Heathen” shoved him during the ceremonial weigh-in. In a bit of a freak occurrence, Klose wound up suffering a career-threatening spinal injury that delayed his comeback even further. Klose did make his return in 2022 and looked good in wins over Brandon Jenkins and Rafa Garcia, but he ended the year with yet another injury, only making his comeback last December. That performance was absolutely electric, as he quickly dispatched Joe Solecki with one of the most brutal slam knockouts you’ll ever see. Klose looks to make it four straight victories against Silva in a dangerous but winnable matchup. Silva hasn’t been particularly active in his near-decade under the UFC banner, but he’s a consistently entertaining fighter. Following in the footsteps of Vitor Belfort, among others, Silva extols the virtues of Brazilian jiu-jitsu while mostly finding his success as a knockout artist. Silva can hold his own on the mat, and he’s a tough out—top contender Arman Tsarukyan needed two and a half rounds to finish him last year, which only looks better as time goes on—but he also doesn’t do much to discourage opponents who look to turn things into a wrestling match. Klose can get rocked, so Silva has a chance at scoring an impressive knockout during every moment this fight is on the feet. With that said, Klose should turn this into a grind with little trouble. The pick is Klose via decision.
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