Daniel Da Silva vs. Victor Altamirano will help kick off UFC 278 before the main card starts.
The two flyweights are exceedingly exciting fighters, relatively new to the promotion and in pursuit of their first UFC wins. Da Silva, a former Shooto Brasil fighter, holds onto a 100% finishing rate in his pro career. Although he is currently coming off of back-to-back losses to Francisco Figueiredo and Jeff Molina, he is truly a talent to keep an eye on.
Altamirano, AKA “El Magnifico,” is a promising Mexican fighter who tore up the scene in LFA before earning a shot in the UFC via a Dana White’s Contender Series victory. He is coming off of a loss to Carlos Hernandez and will be looking to bounce back in a big way at UFC 278.
Betting Odds
Da Silva will be entering the octagon as the underdog against Altamirano. Those who bet on him should receive a profit of $169 per $100 placed via MyBookie, if he wins.
Breakdown
Daniel Da Silva is oozing with talent. He is an exciting fighter all-around with a tall upright stance and wicked sharp kicks. His guard is loose and relaxed, so is his punching, and he tends to get off to a good start immediately.
The most impressive part is that it seems he figures out his range much quicker than most fighters, landing off the bat, especially his stabbing front kick and even spinning attacks. However, because he favors such a high-volume kick game, along with a tall stance, he needs to be especially careful about leaving his head erect in the air when kicking because that is when he can be countered with overhand rights and straights.
In terms of grappling, Da Silva is a very good transitional fighter, especially from submission to submission, in order to keep his opponent defending everywhere. He is extremely talented at securing armbars from his back and having a dangerous and active guard. The largest knock on the young fighter is likely that he thrives much much more as an offensive fighter, with all the talent in the world when he is the one attacking on his terms. When put on the defensive, it would seem his submission awareness is not at the level of his submission attacks, and vice versa; head movement and defense are not his strongest suit compared to his offensive abilities on the feet.
Compared to Da Silva, Altamirano isn’t as pretty a striker but does embody the “blood and guts” mentality. He is constantly working; whether it’s engaging, feinting, switching stance, or angling in and out, he is always forcing his opponents to react to something. Offensively he is a bit slower and labored in his punches, but his head movement is better than the Brazilians. That being said, while this will be effective against Da Silva in boxing range, if his habit of dipping very far continues at a distance for Da Silva to kick or time a knee, it could be trouble. Offensively, watch for Altamirano to land his left body kick at the end of exchanges.
In terms of his grappling ability, he has a good guard, with four of his five career finishes coming by submission; however, the big difference is that he tends to settle on his back first and attack second. What he misses is the initial reaction that would allow him to take advantage of opportunities to sweep or attack while the motion of him being taken down is still happening, and it’s in these scrambles where Da Silva may just be a step ahead.
Prediction
The keys to victory for Altamirano are output and staying safe from Da Silva’s submissions and biggest shots. Altamirano can go hard and battle through adversity for 15 minutes, which is the advantage he holds over the Brazilian fighter who has yet to see a decision in his entire career.
That being said, I think the keys to victory for Da Silva are more attainable. He is the slicker fighter, both on the feet and on the ground, and although he doesn’t have the head movement of Altamirano, his kicking game is a good toolset in taking advantage of the kind of movement Altamarino uses.
Prediction: Daniel Da Silva to win (+169 underdog at MyBookie)