Preview: UFC Fight Night 208 Prelims

Welterweights

Claudio Silva (14-3 | 5-2 UFC) vs. Nicolas Dalby (19-4-1, 2 NC | 3-3-1, 1 NC UFC)

Odds: Dalby (-250), Silva (+210)

It looks like Claudio Silva might be nearing the end of his UFC run, and what a strange trip it's been. A Brazilian who's trained out of England for much of his UFC career, Silva was picked up as part of the promotion's international expansion in 2014 and quickly impressed with wins over Brad Scott and Leon Edwards, the latter aging particularly well. And then Silva essentially vanished; injuries forced him to wait nearly four years to follow up on the momentum of the Edwards win with a submission victory over Nordine Taleb. For the better part of a decade, "Hannibal" found success through sheer aggression every time he stepped foot inside of the cage, but never got much momentum going due to repeated and ill-timed layoffs. And in recent years, with Silva now firmly in his late thirties, the wheels have started to fall off; in losses to James Krause and Court McGee, Silva's signature aggression has gotten wilder and less effective - he's tired quicker, after which he starts absolutely winging his strikes, and the dogged wrestling that has set up his lethal grappling just hasn't gotten much of anywhere. Silva looks to break his skid here against Nicolas Dalby, who's looked solid in his second UFC run. Denmark's Dalby was a hyped signing in 2015 that quickly slid out of the promotion - albeit against a level of competition that looks much tougher in retrospect - but overcame his struggles with alcohol and depression while on the European scene, got into much better shape and made his UFC return in 2019. That return, a gutsy win over Alex Oliveira in front of the Copenhagen faithful, was an underrated moment that will probably serve as a highlight of Dalby's career, but he's proven to be a tough out with a straightforward style built around outlasting his opponents. Dalby can deal with some thin margins, so there's a worry that Silva's dynamism can set him apart, but with the Dane's historical durability and Silva fading so badly in recent years, Dalby should be able to survive some early trouble - if there even is any - and take over the fight. The pick is Dalby via decision.

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