UFC Fight Night 95: Cyborg vs Lansberg Date: September 24, 2016 Arena: Nilson Nelson Gymnasium City: Brasilia, Brazil Heavyweight bout: Roy “Big Country” Nelson (-450) vs Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (+360) Fight Breakdown: It’s “Big Country” vs “Bigfoot” on the main card of UFC Fight Night 95 in Brasilia on FOX Sports 1, as Roy “Big Country” Nelson and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva battle it out in an effort to return to the win column of the UFC’s heavyweight division. “Big Country” is a heavy, pun-intended, -450 ($450 to win $100) betting favorite heading into the contest, with the return on the underdog Silva being +360 ($100 to win $360) Several Bookmakers. Roy “Big Country” Nelson (21-13 MMA, 8-9 UFC) is coming off a controversial split decision loss to Derrick Lewis just a couple months back and will be looking for a return to the win column in this quick return to action against Brazil’s own “Bigfoot” Silva. “Big Country” is known for his hard right hand, which is a vicious weapon that has put out the likes of Matt Mitrione, Stefan Struve, Cheick Kongo, Mirko Cro Cop, Dave Herman and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Nelson and his right hand are always a threat against anyone in the UFC’s heavyweight division. The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 winner is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and owns five wins by way of tapout, though he has not submitted an opponent since 2006. He does not possess the best takedowns, but when able to take opponents down and gain top position on the mat, he generally does a good job of remaining heavy and obtaining position. Training out of his home gym in Las Vegas,, NV, Nelson’s cardio seems to be hit or miss, but he is generally able to tough it out for 15 minutes, even when fatigued. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (19-9-1 NC MMA, 3-6-1 UFC) last saw action at UFC Fight Night 87 four months ago, where he suffered a first round knockout against Stefan Struve, making it back to back losses and T/KO defeats for the Brazilian big man. He likely has his back against the wall heading into this contest, as he wants to avoid dropping three straight and falling to 1-5 in his last six. “Bigfoot” moves slow and does not have good footwork, but he does possess a good amount of power in his gigantic fists. He likes to land hard shots with his opponents’ backs against the cage, or while in top control on the mat. The Brazilian throws hard with bad intentions, looking to put his competition away. He is a talented grappler who owns black belts in judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Training out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL, Silva has good conditioning for a heavyweight and should be able to go the three round distance with Nelson, should this fight reach it’s way to the judges’ scorecards for a decision. Gabe’s Call: Nelson by T/KO (punch, 0:38 round 1) Gabe’s Thoughts: In short, I think Nelson catches Silva early and puts him away in the opening round of this heavyweight contest. Gabe’s Recommended Play: Nelson/Silva Under 1.5 rounds (-220) and Jussier Formiga (-200) at +118 for 3.35u to win 3.95u
