UFC Vegas 41: Who is Daniel da Silva?
By Zain Bando
Get to know flyweight prospect, Daniel da Silva, ahead of his UFC debut Saturday afternoon.
Daniel da Silva is the latest UFC debutant to grace the Octagon. Saturday afternoon will mark the 13th fight for the flyweight prospect, as he will take on Jeff Molina during the early prelims of UFC Vegas 41. The entire card is set to air on ESPN+, beginning at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.
Da Silva hails from Brazil and trains out of ATS Team Tres Rios. He is a well-rounded fighter who can dictate the pace of a fight wherever it might go. All 11 wins have come by stoppage, as six wins have come by submission and five have ended via KO/TKO. Lacerda enters the UFC on a three-fight winning streak, defeating Rodrigo Dos Santos Sarafian Lobato by first-round TKO in his most recent outing in July.
Da Silva only has one blemish on his record, as he injured his arm against Edilceu Silva Alves in March 2019 while on the regional circuit.
Who is Jeff Molina?
Molina makes his second Octagon appearance under the UFC banner. After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in Aug. 2020, Molina has successfully capitalized on his opportunity with the promotion, as he defeated Qileng Aori at UFC 261 in April via unanimous decision. The win improved Molina to 9-2 and increased his win streak to eight straight.
Both men look for the finish early and often, but as for Molina, he is more of a ground specialist. Four of his nine wins have come by submission, and three of them have come by rear-naked-choke. This is a classic match-up of styles, as neither man likes to get the judges involved at night’s end.
Saturday will mark another consecutive UFC event weekend, headlined by Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori in the main event. Only time will tell.
Next. Dana White teases big things for Fight Island following vaccine mandate (Video). dark