Preview: UFC 303 ‘Pereira vs. Prochazka 2’

Women’s Bantamweights

#3 WBW | Mayra Bueno Silva (10-3-1, 5-3-1 UFC) vs. #7 WBW | Macy Chiasson (9-3, 7-3 UFC)

ODDS: Bueno Silva (-115), Chiasson (-105)

The top of the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division is still a bit of a mess after the retirement of Amanda Nunes, so this could wind up as an important fight depending on how things shake out. Bueno Silva just challenged for the vacant belt in what was the culmination of a surprisingly successful move up to 135 pounds for “Sheetara.” The Brazilian had hit a clear ceiling at flyweight, as her vicious grappling game was limited somewhat by her plodding striking attack. At bantamweight, Bueno Silva was no longer a subpar athlete and could take advantage of her opponents’ more limited games. A second-round submission against Holly Holm seemingly confirmed that Bueno Silva would be a problem for anyone in the division, so she was a worthy entrant when the UFC decided to match her against Raquel Pennington to crown a new champion. Bueno Silva got off to a solid enough start but surprisingly gassed out after about a round and a half of action, attempting unsuccessfully to turn things around for the next three and a half rounds. It was a showing that makes it difficult to see Bueno Silva getting a title rematch in the short term but also doesn’t say much about her ability to take apart the rank and file of the division. She’ll look to rebound against Chiasson, who seems to be the eternal dark horse of the weight class, remaining a high-upside talent while never gaining much momentum.

Chiasson looked like an absolute terror in running through the competition on a featherweight season of “The Ultimate Fighter” back in 2018, and that figured to carry down to 135 pounds. However, it has been a mixed bag, even beyond Chiasson’s struggles to actually make the weight limit. She has a gigantic frame for the division and can often overwhelm her opponents in close quarters, but her lack of core strength just as often gets her overpowered by some of the more thickly-built women at 135 and 145 pounds. It’s unclear what side of that equation Bueno Silva falls on, but even if Chiasson gets her type of fight, the issue is that she’ll be closing in on and locking horns with a talented grappler who can easily find a finish, between the American’s long limbs and often suspect submission defense. The pick is Bueno Silva via second-round submission.

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Pereira vs. Prochazka
Lopes vs. Ortega
Dolidze vs. Smith
Bueno Silva vs. Chiasson
Garry vs. Page
The Prelims