Erik Silva vs. Muhammad Naimov – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC Fight Night 237: Moreno vs. Royval 2 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 24, 2024, in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. In this matchup on the fight card, Erik “The King” Silva will take on Muhammad “Hillman” Tafa in the Featherweight bout. You can view the complete UFC Fight Night 237 card.

Silva brings a unique orthodox fighting stance with an 71″ reach. In contrast, Tafa, an orthodox fighter, stands with a 70″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 71% striking accuracy, Silva has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 2.17 per minute. On the other hand, Tafa boasts a 46% striking accuracy, landing approximately 3.37 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Erik Silva vs. Muhammad Naimov matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 37-year-old, Erik Silva is coming in with a 9-2-0 record. Silva will be fighting for the first time since a loss via submission against TJ Brown at UFC 282: Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev in December.

Tafa, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision win against Erik Silva on December 10, 2022, at UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2 and holds a 10-2-0 record.

Erik Silva has a orthodox fighting stance with an 71″ reach. The 30-year-old Muhammad Naimov is an orthodox fighter with a 70″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Erik Silva stats

→ Silva’s striking accuracy is 71%.
→ Silva lands 2.17 significant strikes per minute.
→ Silva’s takedown accuracy is 80%.
→ Silva’s takedown average is 3.94 per 15 minutes.
→ Silva’s takedown defense is 71%.

Silva comes in with 71% striking accuracy, typically landing about 2.17 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Tafa fires at 46% accuracy, landing about 3.37 significant strikes per minute. Erik Silva also has a 80% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 3.94 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Tafa’s 1.58 takedowns and 57% takedown accuracy.

Muhammad Naimov stats

→ Tafa’s striking accuracy is 46%.
→ Tafa lands 3.37 significant strikes per minute.
→ Tafa’s takedown accuracy is 28%.
→ Tafa’s takedown average is 1.58 per 15 minutes.
→ Tafa’s takedown defense is 57%.

Muhammad spent, on average, 12:40 minutes in the Octagon, and Erik has an average fight time of 7:37 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be an entertaining clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Erik or Muhammad? Sound off in the comments.

You can view the scheduled UFC Fight Night 237 fight card, upcoming UFC schedule 2023, and latest MMA news.