Athletes
Prospect To Watch | Jean Silva
Brazilian Featherweight Aims to Makes It Four-In-A-Row Inside The Octagon When He Faces Melsik Baghdasaryan At UFC Seattle
It’s been a non-stop ride for Jean Silva ever since he debuted on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.
The 28-year-old featherweight is a member of one of the fastest rising mixed martial arts teams today, The Fighting Nerds. Alongside Caio Borralho, Mauricio Ruffy and Bruna Brasil, Silva and The Fighting Nerds have taken the UFC by storm over the past few years. Silva has been a huge part of that success, going a perfect 3-0 in the UFC in 2024 after earning his contract on the Tuesday night series.
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It was smooth sailing for Silva when he met Weston Wilson inside the UFC APEX for his promotional debut. As UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald said Octagonside, nearly every punch that Silva landed drew a visible reaction from Wilson.
With just over a minute to go in the opening round, it was clear Silva was only a few big shots away from closing the show. He poured on the pressure, crumbling Wilson to the canvas and forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight. After just four minutes in the UFC, it was clear that Silva was a prospect the featherweight division needed to keep its eye on.
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Five months later, Silva collided with Canadian finisher Charles Jourdain at UFC 303: Pereira vs Procházka 2 in Las Vegas. Different opponent, same story. Jourdain had never been knocked out in his 23-fight professional career, but Silva's unrelenting power proved too much to outlast.
Late in the first round, Silva caught Jourdain with a left hook as Jourdain rushed in, very similarly to how Jiri Procházka was dropped at the end of the first round by light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in the main event later that night. Fast forward to the second round, Jourdain grabbed hold of Silva’s leg in an attempt to take the Brazilian down, but as soon as Silva broke free, he landed a perfect uppercut that dropped Jourdain to the ground and closed the show.
So, what do you do when you have an exciting prospect with heavy hands looking to take a pivotal step closer to the division’s rankings? You match them up with Drew Dober.
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The two met in a lightweight bout just one month after Silva’s knockout of Jourdain at UFC Denver in July. As you can imagine, the fight was fireworks from start to finish, with Silva showing his precision and power while Dober proved once again that he’s one of the toughest athletes on the entire UFC roster.
Everyone knows Dober would never quit on himself, however, the accumulation of Silva’s strikes was ultimately too much to bear, as a large cut opened above Dober’s right eye. The fight was eventually stopped by the Octagonside doctor, earning Silva his third straight finish in just seven months.
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Now, after taking the longest break of his UFC career, Silva returns to featherweight to face Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs Song in Seattle. Still on the outside looking in at the featherweight rankings, a fourth stoppage win could earn Silva a number by his name early next week.
UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs Song took place live from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington on February 22, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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