MMA Preview – Jared Cannonier vs Anderson Silva at UFC 237
AT A GLANCE
When is UFC 237? Sunday 12th May, 2019 – 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 237? Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
What channel is UFC 237? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 237? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live and you can take advantage of a free trial with ESPN+ and subscribe now by clicking here!
Are tickets still available for UFC 237? http://uk.ufc.com/event-ticket-info?utm_source=ufc&utm_medium=tab&utm_campaign=tickets
THE STATISTICS
THE LOWDOWN
The legendary Anderson Silva walks out in Rio for one of his last ever fights in front of his adoring fans. Standing in his way is Jared Cannonier who has found his home after travelling from the heavyweight division and kicked off his middleweight journey with a brilliant TKO finish over David Branch.
Cannonier looked phenomenal in that fight. He proved his power has carried down the divisions by out-muscling and stifling the grappling of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt before finishing him in the second round with strikes.
He suffered mixed fortunes in the UFC as a heavyweight and light heavyweight but that is clearly not due to lack of talent; it was more a stubbornness not to drop that body fat and compete at 185 lbs. If he can keep the weight off, he will be a threat in the division and the UFC clearly agree by handing him Branch and now Silva.
Silva has only won once in his last seven fights but he still creates an aura wherever he goes. He is one of the best fighters of all time and although he is past his prime, he still possesses that competitive spirit at the age of 44. He hopes to bounce back from his decision loss to Israel Adesanya and put on a show for the fans.
THE PREDICTION
The matchmakers have done a good job as this is will be a fascinating contest for the legend. Cannonier is a powerful and technical striker but as we know, Silva is one of the best strikers of all time. Cannonier is no spring chicken but he is the fresher fighter and looks a real force at middleweight. The question is, can Silva pull out his old magic to slip the punches and kicks and counter in devastating fashion?
They are likely to abandon their grappling skills for this one and Cannonier’s explosiveness can easily cause an upset for the fans or leave himself open for the Brazilian to clean up. However, as we saw in the Adesanya fight, Silva’s defence is still impeccable and likely to force the fight to the bell where he will do enough to sway the judges.
Winner: Silva via Decision
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric
