Jean Silva is coming off a victory against Bryce Mitchell at UFC 314. Photo: Twitter / UFC News
Jean Silva is about to have the biggest fight of his UFC career. The Fighting Nerds athlete faces Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC Noche , scheduled for September 13th. Given the current situation in the featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg), it's likely that the winner of the fight will be catapulted into a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski . Ready to seize the opportunity, 'Lord' is willing to use every weapon at his disposal, including provocation.
In a video posted by Caio Borralho on YouTube, Jean Silva appeared sparring with Ricardo Carcacinha during a training session at the Fighting Nerds gym in São Paulo. During the exchange of blows, he made a point of imitating Diego Lopes ' trademark throat-clearing gesture during fights, eliciting laughter from his teammates.
"He's doing the 'thing' with his throat. That Jean is a son of a b****," Caio Borralho said , laughing.
Check out Jean Silva's training session recorded by Caio Borralho
Why does Diego Lopes scratch his throat?
Diego Lopes ' gesture of scratching his throat during fights is actually a habit he's had since childhood. When he was still a child, "El Brabo" injured himself with a metal bar and got a scar in that area. Since then, the habit of rubbing the spot has become a quirk.
The other day they asked me about why the Diego Lopes throat is touched and here is the explanation
It's incredible how I lived after that!! https://t.co/PT1rYm1sMI pic.twitter.com/XTpJXbbrQt
— MMA Latinoamérica (@ClubDeLasMMA) July 1, 2024
Jean Silva studies Diego Lopes' patterns ahead of UFC Noche
Jean Silva (left) provoked a level of stand-up fighting from Diego Lopes (right). Photo: Reproduction/Montage SUPER LUTAS
The act of imitating Diego Lopes is part of a meticulous analysis carried out by Jean Silva to study his opponent. In an appearance on the MMA Brasil podcast, "Lord" revealed that he closely observes Diego'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.
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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Read More about: Caio Borralho, Diego lopes, Jean Silva, UFC Night
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