UFC on ESPN 71: Tatsuro Taira vs. HyunSung Park faceoffs
Check out the UFC on ESPN 71 weigh-in faceoffs, where the athletes from the 12-fight card had a final staredown ahead of event in Las Vegas.
Danny Silva and Kevin Vallejos meet Saturday in the main card opener of UFC on ESPN 71 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 2-3
UFC main cards, 2025: 72-56-1
Danny Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos UFC on ESPN 71 preview
Silva (10-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will look to extend his four-fight winning streak while remaining undefeated in the UFC. The Dana White’s Contender Series veteran has won both of his UFC fights, both by split decision over Josh Culibao and Lucas Almeida. … Vallejos (15-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) shares some similarities to Silva. He is also a DWCS veteran riding a four-fight streak. Vallejos has one less fight under the UFC banner, though. His debut came in March, and didn’t last long as he finished Seung Woo Choi in just over three minutes.
Danny Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos UFC on ESPN 71 expert pick, prediction
Kicking off the main card in appropriate fashion is a featherweight action fight between Danny Silva and Kevin Vallejos.
Silva trains under UFC veteran Cub Swanson and is a well-rounded fighter who primarily likes to figure things out on the feet. However, considering the boxing acumen of his current counterpart, I’ll be curious to see if Silva looks to mix in more takedowns this Saturday.
Although there’s not a huge sample size of Vallejos grappling against UFC-level fighters, the Argentinian has shown no shortage of ideas when it comes to counter wrestling or scrambling so far in his short career.
I don’t know if I agree with the betting odds next to his name, but I can understand the hype on Vallejos when looking at how he transitions through offense on the feet.
It should be a competitive fight from the jump, but I’ll take Vallejos to pull away down the stretch by successfully extending exchanges and working Silva’s body en route to a clear win on the scorecards.
Danny Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos UFC on ESPN 71 odds
The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the Argentinian fighter, listing Vallejos (-430) and Silva (+320) via FanDuel.
Danny Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos UFC on ESPN 71 start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Silva and Vallejos are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 9:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
