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- What: UFC Vegas 97 Co-Main Event
- Who: Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva
- Date: Saturday, September 7, 2024
- Location: UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV
- Time: Prelims (4:00 p.m. ET), Main Card (7:00 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: ESPN+
The UFC returns to Las Vegas this weekend for Saturday’s UFC Vegas 97 fight card from the UFC Apex. In the main event of that contest, former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns faces the up-and-coming Sean Brady in a scheduled five-round contest in the UFC’s 170-pound division. UFC Vegas 97 is scheduled for September 7. The full card streams on ESPN+. In the co-main event, former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade faces Natalia Silva in a women’s flyweight contest. Below is some information on the fighters before we discuss the betting breakdown of UFC Vegas 97.
Jessica Andrade (26-12) has been with the UFC since 2013. An ex-champion at 115 pounds, Andrade has also fought for the 125-pound title. She is riding a two-fight winning streak heading into UFC Vegas 97, with her most recent win coming in April when she defeated Marina Rodriguez by decision. Andrade is the No. 6 fighter in the official UFC women’s flyweight rankings.
Natalia Silva (17-5-1) is a perfect 5-0 under the UFC banner. She joined the promotion in 2022. Silva’s most recent victory was a February decision win over Viviane Araujo. She is No. 8 in the women’s 125-pound division.
Before we look at the best bets for Burns vs. Brady on the UFC Vegas 97 card, check out the best UFC betting sites and where you can find our betting pick for the UFC 306 main event.
UFC Vegas 97 co-main event: Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva betting picks
| Fighters |  |  |  |  |
| Jessica Andrade | +250 | +250 | +235 | +236 |
| Natalia Silva | -300 | -300 | -310 | -319 |
Jessica Andrade betting breakdown
Jessica Andrade has been competing at the top of the UFC’s women’s divisions for almost her entire career with the promotion. Andrade started as a bantamweight in the UFC, dropped to strawweight in 2016, and won the title in that division in 2019. In 2020, she moved to 125 pounds and fought for the belt in that weight class in 2021. Since then, Andrade has competed chiefly at 125 but has taken a couple of fights at 115. She is at 125 for UFC Vegas 97.
Andrade can fight in different weight divisions despite her height of 5-foot-2 because of her strength. She is incredibly strong and powerful, and she can bully her opponents in the clinch and on the mat while also landing heavy punches. Andrade uses her strength and power to intimidate her foes and pressure forward. If a fighter takes a step back against Andrade, she will take two steps forward and look to break them in any way possible. However, as she gets older, the 32-year-old has eased back on that approach and started to show her technical skills inside the Octagon.
Andrade lands an average of 6.62 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 50 percent. Her striking defense is 55 percent, and she gets hit, on average 5.37 times per minute. Andrade averages 2.37 takedowns per 15 minutes with a success rate of 55 percent. Her takedown defense stands at 72 percent.
Natalia Silva betting breakdown
The 27-year-old Natalia Silva has been a pro fighter since 2015. Andrade had already been in the UFC for a year when Silva made her MMA debut. That gives Andrade an enormous advantage in experience. Andrade has also fought some of the best women in the history of the UFC. With that in mind, Silva will not surprise Andrade in any way. Further, Silva just broke into the UFC rankings in 2023 with her win over Andrea Lee.
Silva is a dynamic striker, who is unafraid of using spinning techniques if she has time and space to do so. She is especially effective with her lead leg, throwing kicks with a lot of speed to various targets. She also has better-than-average power and speed in her hands. Two of her five UFC wins have come by TKO. Silva is also a hard fighter to take down. Her route to victory against Andrade is to keep the fight at distance as much as she can, match Andrade’s intensity, and establish her kicking game from the start. If she allows Andrade to close distance and get in close, Silva will struggle on Saturday.
Silva lands an average of 4.53 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 44 percent. Her striking defense is 65 percent, and she gets hit, on average, 2.10 times per minute. Silva averages 0.50 takedowns per 15 minutes with an accuracy of 28 percent. Meanwhile, her takedown defense is a very high 91 percent.
Best Bets: UFC Vegas 97 co-main event: Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva
This matchup marks a big step up in competition for the rising Natalia Silva, but all signs point to her being ready to take on a veteran opponent in Jessica Andrade. As for Andrade, this is a must-win if she hopes to get back to the top of the women’s 125-pound division.
The betting pick is for Silva to use her speed and kicking game to keep the fight at distance, where she will have success and win a decision over Jessica Andrade.
See below the top offshore sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
