Mayra “Sheetara” Bueno Silva is someone to keep an eye on in a thin 135-pound division. She is 4-2-1 in the UFC. Both of her losses came in the flyweight division. Bueno Silva moved up to 135, which seems to suit her much better, in her last fight and found a first-round submission win.
Lina “Elbow Queen” Lansberg, 40, is nine years older than Bueno Silva and is on a three fight losing streak. All three of her losses have come via decision, as did her two wins before that.
Betting Odds
- Mayra Bueno Silva:Â -500
- Lina Lansberg:Â +425
Fight Breakdown
Bueno Silva is best known for her slick submissions. Like many other fighters out of Chute Boxe, Silva has great hips and is able to pivot positions fluidly on the mat. She is skilled at creating chaos, from top or bottom position, so that she can grab an exposed limb or neck. On the feet, Bueno Silva is a strong striker with good power and reliable volume. When she fought in the 125-pound division, Bueno Silva struggled to match the output and speed of the smaller fighters. But, at 135 pounds, Bueno Silva should have similar speed in her strikes and be able to push a consistent but comfortable pace.
Typically, Bueno Silva prefers to be all the way out or all the way in. All the way out, or at range, “Sheetara” looks to work the lead calf of her opponent and follow it over the top with overhand rights. If she isn’t at range, Bueno Silva wants to be all the way in, or body to body with her opponent so she can more easily grapple. She struggles in the pocket where technique and speed reign supreme. Furthermore, Bueno Silva has room to grow with her wrestling. As stated above, she looks to create chaos when grappling. Part of that approach is that chaos opens opportunities for submissions; but, also, Bueno Silva relies on chaos because she can’t reliably wrestle into position.
Lansberg’s game is basic but challenging for many. She has great cardio, toughness, and the ability to make a fight grueling. She typically struggles at range, mainly with speed and volume. Lansberg has decent boxing but tends to be a step behind and struggles to land first or more than her opponent. She can absorb a fair amount of damage which helps her walk through volume to clinch against the cage.
The clinch is right where Lansberg wants to be. She performs best when she can lay on opponents, use head position to hold position, and land her patented elbows. Lansberg will happily hold the clinch for an entire round, landing enough elbows and body shots to be considered “active” and keep the ref from breaking it up. However, that seems to be Lansberg’s only path to victory at this stage in her career. She is much slower and limited on the feet than most of her opponents. She can be controlled for long periods of time on the mat. And, most concerningly in this fight, struggles to defend takedowns and grapple defensively.
Prediction and Betting Guide
Lansberg’s fighting style, especially at this stage in her career, is to survive and make it ugly. She has minimal paths to victory outside of a dirty boxing clinch fight where she can earn her nickname “Elbow Queen.” Bueno Silva is the much better grappler, the more varied and more powerful striker, and should be much faster as well. Betting this fight, especially on a card with few parlay opportunities, comes down to whether or not Bueno Silva can get the finish. Lansberg hasn’t been finished since 2017 and has shown real toughness in recent fights.
However, she has not faced a finisher since that 2017 fight. I like Bueno Silva to get the finish here. I’m handicapping that Lansberg’s toughness and ability to survive have been overblown because of her opponent’s lack of finishing ability. I like Bueno Silva inside the distance at +130 and by TKO at +475. I anticipate a clinch fight against the cage and Bueno Silva teeing off on Lansberg until the ref steps in to break it up.
Pick: Bueno Silva inside the distance (+145)