Lightweight, Mandel Nallo (13-3) vs. Samuel Silva (13-4-1)
Notable Notes
- Nallo went 4-3 and one no-contest in Bellator
- Nallo has only fought one guy with a losing record at the time they fought
- Nallo has never seen the scorecards
- Nallo has eleven first-round finishes
- Nallo is 0-2 in fights outside round two
- Nallo’s last six wins came to guys all in their 30s
- Nallo has been fighting for over a decade (since 2019)
- Nallo hasn’t made 155 in over two years
- Silva has a win over CS alum, George Hardwick
- Silva is the current Cage Warriors champion
- Silva is 2-2 to the decision
- Both have a combined 24 finishes
Mandel Nallo
-Uses length well
-Good counter striker
-Fast/Quick release
-Submission threat
-Good distance control
-Unpredictable
-Chopping calf kicks
-Solid TDD
-Long jab
-Excellent timing
-Hands low
-Questionable chin
-Fades in the latter rounds
If the UFC likes Nallo, why not sign him straight to the promotion? He’s a Bellator vet, already battle-tested, and at 33 years old, time isn’t exactly on his side. He’s an exciting fighter who’s never gone to the scorecards in his career.
Nallo’s Bellator run has been up and down: his wins are stylish, but even in losses, he often looked good until things slipped away. His biggest weakness is consistency over three rounds. As fights progress, he tends to make more mistakes, like giving up grappling positions or leaving his chin dangerously exposed.
Overall, though, Nallo is a quality mixed martial artist. He’s primarily a striker but also a dangerous submission threat, with six submissions, all focused on attacking the neck. His reach and length give him an edge both standing and on the ground.
On the feet, Nallo excels at distance control, utilizing calf kicks, teeps, a stiff jab, and a sharp one-two. He’s adept at finding and closing range quickly and punishing opponents who try to close the distance recklessly. While he doesn’t possess one-punch knockout power, his timing is excellent, delivering beautiful fade-away counters and intercepting lazy strikes like straight punches or leg kicks.
You can’t just hang out at range against him; he’s too dangerous with multiple weapons. Closing the distance on Nallo is risky: his length and footwork help him evade danger, but his hands tend to drop, and his chin can be cracked if timed properly. At 33, he likely can’t absorb too much punishment without consequences.
Defensively, Nallo boasts strong takedown defense. His sprawling is solid, and he fights effectively off the cage, digging for underhooks and leveraging his positioning. Chain wrestlers might give him trouble, but he handles the initial level of wrestling well.
Nallo has the skill set to compete at the UFC level. He might not be a long-term fixture, but he certainly belongs there.
Samuel Silva
-Durable/Toughness
-Good knees
-Dangerous in exchanges
-Submission threat/Dangerous guillotine
-Good body kick
-Poor grappling control
-Vulnerable to leg kick
-Takes a lot of damage
-Reaches with his punches
-Low volume
Silva is on a strong run right now. He made his LFA debut in 2023 with a win over dangerous Contender Series alum Rodrigo Lidio. Then he snapped the win streak of another tough opponent, Anderson Ferreira. Last March, Silva stepped in on short notice in England and defeated Cage Warriors champ and CS alum George Hardwick to claim the title.
I was critical of Silva in the past, but he’s proven to be better than I initially thought. That said, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. His greatest asset is his toughness—but toughness alone isn’t enough when evaluating prospects.
Silva performs best when he’s under pressure. When given space, he throws low-volume single strikes and rarely dictates the pace. But inside the pocket, he’s effective—finding knees, mixing in two-punch combos, and landing clean shots to the chin. His defense, however, leaves much to be desired. He often throws to trade, showing a willingness to take shots to land his own.
He’s been dropped and finished before, but his resilience and grit keep him in fights. Where he lacks in technical polish, he makes up for with sheer willpower that breaks opponents mentally.
Perhaps fighting in front of Dana White and the UFC brass will inspire him to elevate his game. He has the tools but struggles to consistently put them all together. Regardless of the outcome, Silva has developed into a fighter worth watching.
Prediction: This is a tricky fight to call. I strongly favor Nallo’s skillset, but Silva has the ability to turn things around at any moment. Nallo has yet to show a fully polished, three-round performance, but he’s facing Silva—a tough, durable opponent who’s difficult to finish. Silva thrives when fighting opponents who come in tight, giving him chances to land his shots. Nallo, on the other hand, is a distance striker and easily the best one Silva has faced. Silva will likely struggle badly at range—his tendency to miss leg kick checks and reach on punches should allow Nallo to pick him apart with sharp counters.
Neither fighter relies heavily on wrestling, though both are dangerous with front headlock positions. I expect this fight to mostly stay standing, where Nallo’s volume, variety, and technical edge should prevail. That said, I’m not super confident. Nallo has shown vulnerability late in fights, and Silva is always dangerous. Nallo by decision is the pick.
