UFC Fight Night 181: Hall vs Silva betting predictions

Hall vs Silva UFC Fight Night 181 betting preview

Anderson Silva (34-10) is one of the greatest fighters in UFC history. He holds UFC records for the most consecutive wins with the organization (16) and the longest title reign in UFC history (2,457 days). In what will likely be his last fight with the promotion, Silva takes on Uriah Hall (15-9-0) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 181 this Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hall has won each of his last two fights, beating Antonio Carlos Junior in 2019 and Bevon Lewis in 2018. Before that, he had lost four of his previous five fights. Hall’s losses have mostly come against respectable middleweights; he is just one of those fighters that has never been able to take the next step to become an actual contender within the division, instead just trading wins and losses to the tune of an 8-6 career record in the UFC.

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Silva has a legacy beyond reproach. His 17-0 unbeaten streak from April 22, 2006 through October 13, 2012 with 10 successful defenses of the UFC Middleweight Championship is one of the most dominant runs in MMA history. But Silva is just 1-6 since then, and his only win over that stretch came via a controversial decision against Derek Brunson. Silva is still in great physical shape and has a high in-ring IQ, but at 45-years-old he clearly doesn’t have the reflexes and strength that he once did.

This is one of those fights that pits your heart against your head. Hall is no world-beater, but he’s nearly 10 years younger than Silva and shouldn’t really have much of an issue wearing him down and knocking him out over the course of a five-round fight. Hall is the clear favorite at UFC betting sites, and it makes plenty of sense to just bet on him and be done with it.

But then your heart points out that Silva’s last three losses have all come against certified killers in Jared Cannonier, Israel Adesanya, and Daniel Cormier. Michael Bisping and Chris Weidman aren’t slouches, either. Hall isn’t a top-tier fighter like the ones Silva has been losing to in the twilight of his career. Maybe Silva can find a way, one last time, to earn a win and go off into the sunset in style.

Head or heart? We’ll roll the dice on Anderson Silva, one last time.