Expert picks, best bets: Will Silva end the Fighting Nerds' losing streak at Noche UFC?

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ESPN staffSep 11, 2025, 08:36 AM ET

Former featherweight rubric challenger Diego Lopes looks to get backmost successful the triumph file against Jean Silva successful the main lawsuit astatine Noche UFC connected Saturday from Frost Bank Center successful San Antonio (6 p.m. ET, prelims astatine 3 p.m. connected ESPN+).

Lopes, ESPN's No. 3-ranked featherweight, mislaid to Alexander Volkanovski successful a bout for the vacant title successful his past Octagon appearance. Before the loss, Lopes was riding a five-fight winning streak.

Silva is undefeated successful the UFC and has finished each of his past 5 opponents (four knockouts, 1 submission).

ESPN MMA analysts and commentators supply their predictions connected the main event, and ESPN betting adept Ian Parker adds penetration connected the worth bets disposable connected the card.

Featherweight main event

Silva is intelligibly hard to instrumentality down, arsenic his takedown defence has held up well. He submitted a unsafe achromatic loop successful Bryce Mitchell successful his past fight. Diego isn't a large grappler, and he's hittable. But Silva is idiosyncratic you can't instrumentality excessively galore shots from. Something that gets mislaid successful each of Silva's antics is his method ability. He has his hands down and he's playful, but he's a technician who carries a batch of power. Not lone does Silva triumph this fight, but I deliberation helium volition spell a agelong mode successful this division. -- Anthony Smith

It's hard to spell against Silva. Lopes gets deed a small excessively much, and Silva is excessively accurate. I don't deliberation he'll sound Lopes retired due to the fact that Lopes is tough, and if it comes to it, he'll instrumentality the combat to the mat and propulsion defender earlier helium allows himself to get knocked out. -- Din Thomas

Betting analysis

Odds close arsenic of Sept. 11. For the astir up-to-date odds, sojourn ESPN BET.

Parker: Over 2.5 rounds (-150). Lopes vs. Silva has everything you tin anticipation for successful a main lawsuit -- 2 well-rounded fighters with large durability who are ever looking for a finish. While I expect this combat to person galore hold-your-breath moments, I bash spot it going into the title rounds.

Each of Lopes' past 3 fights has gone the distance, but Silva hasn't had a combat spell to a determination since helium competed connected "Dana White's Contender Series" successful 2023. However, Silva has not fought anyone ranked successful the UFC's apical 5, and Lopes has yet to beryllium finished successful his UFC career. I deliberation Lopes has a large vantage if helium tin enactment Silva connected his back, but connected the feet, the striking is astir even. Take the implicit 2.5 rounds here.