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Welterweights
NR | Court McGee (19-10, 8-9 UFC) vs. NR | Claudio Silva (14-2, 5-1 UFC)ODDS: McGee (-110), Silva (-110)
When James Krause beat Silva in October, it ended one of the UFC’s most delightfully strange winning streaks. Silva made his UFC debut with a 2014 win over Bradley Scott, and after scoring another win over future contender Leon Edwards, the Brazilian dropped off the map; injuries would limit him to just one fight over the ensuing four and a half years. However, whenever Silva actually made it to the cage, he would rack up another win and watch his previous resume age surprisingly well. It was all set up for Silva to be a contender at some point, but Krause spoiled those plans in what was a worrying performance for the Brazilian. “Hannibal” has made his hay on the back of a relentless wrestling and grappling game, but Krause was effective enough that Silva seemed to have second thoughts about his approach. After an unusually quick turnaround, Silva looks to get back to his winning ways against a former “Ultimate Fighter” winner. McGee has lost five of his last six bouts, but he is still a consistently tough out, whether it is against a top contender like Sean Brady or a fellow rugged veteran like Carlos Condit. “Crusher” is still the same fundamentally sound and rock-solid fighter he has always been. He can do a little bit of everything at a medium pace, all while being difficult to finish or control. Silva is now 38 years old, so there is a chance the Krause fight was finally where he aged past the point of effectiveness. If McGee can keep this fight standing early on, he figures to tire Silva out and take things over from there. However, expect the Brazilian to still have something left in the tank and press his game. The pick is Silva via decision.
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