BKFC 8: Silva Vs. Gonzaga, Alers Vs. Lane Preview, Odds And Predictions

On Saturday night from Tampa, Florida, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 8 takes place with a main event that features former UFC heavyweight title contenders Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and Gabriel Gonzaga. These two heavyweight veterans will slug it out as both seek to launch the next layer of their combat sports careers.

In the co-main event, rising bare knuckle star Jim Alers faces Julian Lane in a match that figures to put the former on the cusp of a major payday against Artem Lobov.

Here is a breakdown of both fights.

Odds: Alers -260, Lane +200, per BetOnline.ag

Alers seems to have found himself with BKFC. He has the look of the promotion's first real star, and it's because of his quick hands and explosive power. He's coming off a destructive finish of former UFC tough guy Leonard Garcia in his last fight. Lane is as rugged as they come, but he's already faced Garcia and been stopped. Styles make fights, but it's understandable for oddsmakers to side heavily with Alers. He looks to be the fresher of the two fighters, and he also has the edge in hand speed and overall punching power.

We haven't gotten a chance to see Alers' chin tested in BKFC because he has disposed of opponents so quickly. I'm not inclined to think Lane will get to Alers' chin either. There is a ferocity with which Alers is competing of late, and it should push him to another victory. If Lane makes it to the final bell, it'll be a shock.

Prediction: Alers by Second-Round TKO

Odds: Silva -155, Gonzaga +125

Quite honestly, I'm a little surprised to see Bigfoot as the favorite in this matchup. Yes, he has massively heavy hands, and he had built up a reputation as a guy with a chin throughout his MMA career.

However, he lost his last five fights with four of the losses coming by KO. It's true, both he and Gonzaga have been stopped with strikes 12 times, but more recent history suggests Silva might be the most compromised as it pertains to punch resiliency. These are heavyweights and it may only take one shot to end the evening, but even in that scenario, Gonzaga may still have a little more explosion than his countryman.

I like Gonzaga in the slight upset.

Prediction: Gonzaga by first-round TKO

The rest of the BKFC card for Saturday night hasn't been posted to this point, but you can see the details here.