After a big win over Arnold Allen, Jean Silva returns to the win column and opens the first main card of the Paramount+ era.
The featherweight bout was the main opener of UFC 324, with Silva (17-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) earning a unanimous decision victory over Allen (20-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC). The official referee’s scores were 30-27, 29-28, 29-28.
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As soon as the game started, the patient Silva began to follow Allen, trying to understand Allen’s situation, but Allen’s performance was very light. Allen is the more active forward and sticks to the run. Silva initially seemed hesitant to attack, even after entering Allen’s kitchen, but he put together some good combinations, including ending the round with a flurry of jabs from the horn. In terms of overall volume, though, the opening is still Allen’s.
Allen continued to keep the volume high in the second round. Some bruises started to appear on Silva’s face, but that didn’t change his approach. With a few minutes left in the game, the exchange became more intense, with both sides launching spin attacks. Silva’s connections were more influential and seemed to carry the fight into the final round.
Although the fight seemed to hinge on the final five minutes, the pace at the start of the final round was calculated. Both men tried to take the fight to the mat, with Silva having more success by lifting and slamming Allen to the canvas – though the fight didn’t stay on the ground. With less than a minute left in the game, Silva pointed to the center of the canvas, and although Allen denied it, the final exchange was intense.
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Paramount’s first main card match went well, with the referee scoring in Silva’s favor. In the immediate aftermath, Silva and Allen expressed emotional respect.
With this victory, Silva bounced back from his TKO loss to Diego Lopez in September. Despite Allen’s valiant efforts, he left with a loss after one of the longest layoffs of his career.
Latest UFC 324 results include:
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Jean Silva def. Arnold Allen unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 324: Jean Silva wins first Paramount+ main card fight
