Jean Silva is sparing no effort in preparing for his most important fight yet. The Fighting Nerds athlete faces Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC Noche , scheduled for September 13th. The fight is valid for the featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg) and could determine the next challenger for Alexander Volkanovski 's belt.
In pursuit of peak performance, Jean decided to put his ego aside and team up with a direct competitor in the category: Ricardo Carcacinha . In a video published on his YouTube channel, the fighter revealed that he is training alongside his training partner and highlighted the importance of collaboration.
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“Thank you. I’m training with Carcacinha now, he’s going to help me… But here’s the thing: you guys have no idea what this kid is like. He wasn’t thinking straight.”, said Jean Silva , alongside Ricardo Carcacinha.
Despite both being in the same division, Jean Silva stated that there is no room for vanity. The Brazilian reinforced that, regardless of a possible future confrontation between the two, he sees Carcacinha as a strong contender for the title.
“I know he’s in the same category as me, but I don’t have an ego. Without a doubt, he’s the next champion. It doesn’t matter if it’s me and him breaking each other up there, he’s the next champion, for sure,” concluded Jean Silva.
Jean Silva studies Diego Lopes' patterns ahead of UFC Noche
Diego Lopes (left) and Jean Silva (right) face off in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Montage SUPER LUTAS
In addition to rigorous training, Jean Silva relies on immersive study to stay alert to everything his rival might bring to the octagon. According to his analysis , 'Lord' states that Diego Lopes is a reactive and explosive fighter with strong counter-attacking power. However, the Brazilian points out that, in the first few minutes of the fight, his rival is willing to retreat, and this behavior could be used to his advantage.
Furthermore, Jean revealed that he closely observes his opponent's body patterns and movement habits, such as the habit of lowering his body before counter-attacking and the constant gesture of adjusting his shorts, something he compared to Dustin Poirier 's style.
“He’s a very reactive guy on his feet, he’s a guy who, at the beginning of the fight, has no problem backing up. You can see that he always ducks down a little when guys throw punches at him, to respond. And he has some mannerisms. I won’t even mention the throat scratching, which is a childhood thing… But you can see that he’s always adjusting his shorts, similar to Poirier,” said Jean Silva during an appearance on the 'MMA Brasil' podcast.
Jean Silva and Ricardo Carcacinha are living different moments in the UFC
Ricardo Carcacinha defeated Joshua Culibao at UFC 305 (Photo: Twitter/UFC News)
Ricardo Carcacinha debuted in the UFC in 2017 and, after a three-fight winning streak, was defeated by Said Nurmagomedov . Since then, the Brazilian has accumulated eight wins and six losses in the organization, having lost three of his last four fights.
Jean Silva , signed through the Contender Series, is experiencing the opposite. He comes from five consecutive UFC victories, four by knockout and one by submission. His most recent performance, against Bryce Mitchell , ended with a knockout in the second round, a result that officially placed him in the featherweight division rankings.
UFC Noche celebrates Mexican independence
The fight between Jean Silva and Diego Lopes will be the main event of another edition of UFC Noche , an event created by the Ultimate Fighting Championship to commemorate Mexico's Independence Day, celebrated on September 16th.
The last editions took place in 2023, when Alexa Grasso retained the flyweight title after a draw with Valentina Shevchenko . In 2024, the highlight was Merab Dvalishvili 's victory over Sean O'Malley, in an epic card at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
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