Silva pulled a bit of a Keyser Söze over the last 18 months, vanishing into thin air after delivering a pair of impressive wins, leaving only tales of his exploits behind.
A long-time training partner of former two-division champion Henry Cejudo, Silva struggled through his first three UFC outings, coming away without a victory. But his second and third bouts came against Top 15 competitors David Dvorak and Tagir Ulanbekov, and in the first quarter of 2021, the Brazilian “Bulldog” showed what he’s capable of when fighting at his best.
Silva battered JP Buys in March to secure his first UFC victory, punishing the South African with heavy shots before the fight was halted in the second round. Two months later, he jumped into a short-notice fight with Victor Rodriguez, replacing Denys Bondar, and topped his last effort, dispatching Rodriguez in a minute flat to secure a second consecutive victory and second straight Performance of the Night bonus.
Since then, however, Silva has been a ghost. There haven’t been any fight bookings that have fallen out or Instagram posts detailing a surgery or obvious reason for his absence; he simply hasn’t been competing.
That hiatus ends this weekend when Silva steps in with Tyson Nam, a veteran banger coming off a first-round knockout win over Ode’ Osbourne last time out who has won three of his last four, each of them inside the distance.
Silva seemed poised to make a run into the rankings after his two wins in three months back in the first half of 2021, but he’s now forced to rebuild that momentum. Those two efforts showed that he’s certainly capable of having success in the Octagon, but Nam is a more seasoned, more dangerous opponent, so it will be interesting to see how the soon-to-be 33-year-old looks in his return.
The depth of talent in the flyweight division has been on the rise for a couple years now, and Silva would definitely be another intriguing addition to that ascending pack if he’s able to pick up where he left off this weekend.
