UFC 297: Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva 1/20/2024 Fight Forecast, Picks and Analysis

UFC 297: Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva 1/20/2024 – As UFC 297 approaches, fans and betting websites alike are building up excitement over Raquel “Rocky” Pennington and Mayra “Sheetara” Bueno Silva’s Women’s Bantamweight Title fight for UFC 297. Not only are fans excited for this battle between two top fighters with impressive records like theirs entering the octagon; betting websites have taken note of this matchup that makes fascinating viewing for anyone exploring UFC betting picks or odds.

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Main Card

Raquel Pennington

Raquel “Rocky” Pennington has demonstrated her resilience, strategic fighting acumen and adaptability during her time in the UFC with 15-9-0 record as Women’s Bantamweight fighter. Her experience in the octagon spans different fighting styles and opponents, making her an adaptable and unpredictable competitor. One of her key strengths lies in her striking game; she averages 4.02 significant strikes per minute with 50% striking accuracy. At 62% defense rate, she demonstrated not only striking prowess but also impressive defensive skills – her orthodox stance and reach advantage gave her an advantage in controlling distance and managing pace of fights.

Pennington displays an intermediate to effective grappling skillset. Averaging 0.93 takedowns every 15 minutes with an accuracy rate of 27%, she doesn’t focus exclusively on ground tactics but can switch when necessary. Pennington’s takedown defense rate of 63% will be crucial in this matchup against Silva. Pennington demonstrated her ability to blend striking with tactical clinch work in her last fight against Vieira; something which might work against Silva’s aggressive style. Furthermore, her experience fighting top-tier opponents provides Pennington a psychological edge as she has consistently demonstrated the ability to adapt and overcome various challenges within the octagon.

Mayra Bueno Silva

Mayra “Sheetara” Bueno Silva brings an alternate and equally effective style into battle. Silva’s approach entails aggressiveness and frequent quick strikes; an indication of this being her shorter average fight time of 8:31. Pennington has an aggressive hitting style; she averages 4.16 significant strikes per minute at 54% accuracy rate. Silva utilizes her striking ability and orthodox stance to establish a high-pressure offense, engaging her opponents quickly and looking for opportunities to finish fights early. However, this aggressive style comes at the cost of 4.71 strikes absorbed per minute while her defense rate stands at 57%.

Silva excels in grappling and submission skills; her average rate of 1.6 submissions every 15 minutes showcases her expertise and preference for ground combat. Silva boasts a takedown defense rate of 68%, making her a more formidable force should the fight go to the mat. Furthermore, her takedown accuracy of 50% shows she often succeeds when taking control of a fight on its way down. Silva has already proven her ability to control opponents on the ground by employing her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background effectively, though her no contest bout against Holm doesn’t adequately reflect her abilities; other matches have proved her mightiness with regards to submission attempts and control on ground combat.