Bruno Silva entered the UFC with a solid amount of buzz after amassing a 10-3-2 record on the regional circuit and earning plaudits from his longtime training partner, former two-weight world champion Henry Cejudo. Unfortunately for the 31-year-old “Bulldog,” he stumbled out of the gate, going without a victory in his first three outings, sending him into his first appearance of 2021 with his back against the wall.
Paired off with Contender Series graduate JP Buys in late March, Silva turned in the best performance of his career, showcasing the skills that made him an intriguing addition to the UFC roster. Sharp and aggressive from the start, Silva bullied Buys throughout the nearly eight-minute affair, battering him with clean, crisp striking and stuffing the Fortis MMA product’s every attempt to close the distance and grapple.
MORE UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Preview The Entire Card Fight By Fight
After securing his first UFC win and a Performance of the Night bonus last time out, Silva steps into the Octagon opposite Victor Rodriguez with designs on securing a second consecutive impressive victory.
Getting acclimated to competing at the UFC level is difficult and Silva faced a pair of ultra-talented foes in his first two flyweight appearances, both of which need to be considered when assessing where he stands in the 125-pound weight class.
He has the tenacity and drive deserving of the “Bulldog” sobriquet he carries, and his effort against Buys represents a glimpse of what he’s capable of inside the Octagon. If he can follow that up with a similar showing against Rodriguez this weekend, Silva will go from having his back against the wall to start the year to one of the more intriguing names to track in the division before even reaching the midway point of 2021.
