Anderson Silva will return to the Octagon for the first time in over a year at UFC Fight Night 84 when he takes on Michael Bisping at the O2 in London on Saturday, February 27.
Silva, one of the best MMA fighters in UFC history, was forced to sit out the last 12 months through suspension after performance-enhancing drugs were found in his system. But he is set to make his comeback against middleweight all-rounder Bisping in the main event.
Here are the latest odds ahead of the clash, via Odds Shark:
Prediction
All eyes will be on the returning former champion for the matchup in England’s capital after a painful two-year period. In January 2015, The Spider worked his way back from a potentially career-ending leg break to beat Nick Diaz, before being caught taking illegal supplements. He’s now 40, and the spotlight will once again be fully focused on the muay thai veteran.
Here’s some inside information – the guy is an absolute fake. … He was passive-aggressive and condescending to me but I couldn’t care less because we’re going to fight. But then afterwards, his manager is calling my coach to ask me not to [criticise Anderson].
The guy is a fake who can speak English but chooses to use a translator. He showed me that he’s too confident at the open workouts by messing around with his friends. Me? I had a solid workout, I’m not messing about.
Silva is well-rounded and a lethal striker, and his 77-inch reach plays an important part of his game plan. Indeed, due to his absence away from competitive action, it will be fascinating to see if his lightning-quick reactions and stamina have been affected.
Per Dielhenn, despite joining the UFC just months apart, the pair have never met inside the cage. Silva’s overwhelming success in the middleweight division over the past few years precedes him, meaning he will be expected to make a successful return to action. Decay to his ability is yet to be seen; however, the lengthy spell away means this is a difficult clash to judge, especially with Bisping bolstered by a home crowd.
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