The UFC returns to Cincinnati, Ohio on May 10th with FIGHT NIGHT 40, an event headlined by the welterweight bout between Matt Brown and Erick Silva. With the fight roughly a week away, the books have Silva installed as the favorite at (-200) wit the return on Brown at (+170). The co-main event features a similar line, with former Strikeforce fighter Lorenz Larkin favored (-215) over Costas Philippou (+170). Both matches have big potential for not going the distance, as all four men have the potential to get an early exit out of the fight.
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Matt Brown has fought just once in the last year, ruining his momentum built on an impressive 6 fight winning streak in the UFC that saw him finish 5 fights. His name briefly entered the title picture, but this match against Silva is a hard test against a non-top 10 opponent. Silva too, had a lot of hype until he was derailed by Jon Fitch. he was also KO’d by Dong Hung Kim and is 2-2 in his last four fights. Silva is now 29 years old, and a fighter who was once a young up and comer is now 29 years old and looking at being a mid tier welterweight if he loses. Brown has value as an underdog, as he fell out of the contender picture sue to injury, and he has been fighting very well. Silva is coming off a fast finish, but if Brown extends the fight and makes it a grind, he may have the advantage.
The Larkin-Philippou fight is a strikers affair, with both men bringing fits as their primary weapons. Larkin has been an uneven 1-2 in the UFC since coming over from Strikeforce, but Philippou has dropped two fights in a row since his win over Tim Boetsch back in December of 2012. Though Philippou has the ability to finish, Larkin has shown a more diverse range of skills in his fights. Philippou has not changed much in his fighting style, and at 34 it is hard to expect that of him. Larkin, at 27 is just entering his prime, and he has had a higher level of competition in his career and fared better. This may be Philippou’s octagon swan song.
