His fight against newcomer Shara Magomedov at UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2 in Abu Dhabi marks Silva’s first fight in Abu Dhabi and his third fight this year.
During his 2021 campaign, Silva went 3-0, all stoppages. Following an impressive first year, Silva lost both of his next two fights to former middleweight champion Alex Pereira and Gerald Meerschaert. So far this year, “Blindado” has gone 1-1, with a win over Brad Taveres and a loss to Brendan Allen.
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He now looks to finish off 2023 with a win over Magomedov, who has a lot of hype behind him heading into this fight, earning 10 of his 11 wins by knockout. Silva has had to switch up some of his training in order to fit with Magomedov’s unique style. He has also spent time focusing on keeping things simple, and just getting the victory.
“I didn’t know much about him, so I had to take a look at him and learn some things,” Silva said. “He is a guy who kicks a lot, that’s pretty much it. It has been a very different camp for me, but I am prepared. I am not worried about putting on a show right now; Whether it is a knockout or submission, I just want to beat him, come out with a victory and my hand raised and I feel very good about it and I feel very prepared.”
