It feels like Dana White doesn’t want anyone with a long losing streak on the roster. Barely five months into the year, the UFC head honcho has already released over 10 fighters from the promotion. And that list just had its latest addition in a fighter who faced his 5th consecutive defeat at UFC 315. We’re talking about Bruno Silva. Surprised?
The Brazilian middleweight contender had all of MMA fandom concerned as Marc-Andre Barriault sent him down following an elbow to his temple. It was a dangerous shot, which seemingly dented his cranium. No wonder ‘Blindado’ went down in a slump and didn’t respond to the initial calls. But when he was taken out of the Bell Centre, Montreal, on a stretcher, the fighting community prayed that he was okay.
Thankfully, Silva got out without much damage. And for the fans and professionals concerned about his health, he shared an update on Instagram. He captioned the post, “I’m fine guys, thanks for the love and respect. My legacy is written, but there is a beginning, middle and end, it’s not a goodbye, but now I want to live and enjoy my family, who knows one day I’ll be back, right? See you soon .” But he knew that he didn’t have a future in the UFC anymore.
Just four days after the terrifying incident at UFC 315, the UFC CEO decided to cut ‘Blindado’ from the roster. And the words, “UFC veteran Bruno Silva is no longer on the roster after 11 fights,” went viral on the internet. You see, Silva had a record of 4 wins and 7 defeats in the UFC. And even though he won three performance bonuses and fought the likes of Alex Pereira, Sharaputdin Magomedov, and Chris Weidman, he was on a 5-fight losing streak. And that became the end of his UFC career.
But do you know that Bruno Silva already knew that he’d be cut from the roster if he lost the fight against Barriault? Yes, you read that right! Let’s take a look at his previous conversation with Mick Maynard, shall we?
Bruno Silva already knew what was at stake before coming into UFC 315
In a conversation with MMA Fighting prior to his UFC 315 fight, Silva weighed in on the fight against Ismail Naurdiev at UFC 308. He said, “I got back home from Abu Dhabi the Monday after the fight and my team and I knew there was a 100 percent chance I was getting cut. Four losses. And not only losses, but really bad performances. … I wasn’t fighting to win, I was fighting to survive. And the last fight was the worst. All I thought was, ‘God, get me out of here. I don’t wanna be here. I can’t do this anymore. Not like this.’ I still survived all three rounds. I fought really bad, but still survived.”
Silva was battling mental health issues and feared the end of his career with multiple back-to-back losses. So he sought Pereira’s advice. Yes, the duo became friends after their battle in 2022. And the man with the hands of stone suggested that Silva should talk to Mick Maynard. Pereira knew how strong ‘Blindado’ was. He was actually one of only three fighters to have gone to a decision against ‘Poatan’ in the UFC.
‘Blindado’ soon contacted Maynard and pointed out that he had never turned down any fight. He took on Pereira and ‘Shara Bullet’ when no one else was ready to fight them. Silva asked Maynard to let him lie low for a while. He asked for some time to get some treatment, take care of his head, and find his balance once again. But all the UFC matchmaker had to text back was, “Bruno, I’ll give you one more fight. If you lose, there’s really nothing I can do. It’s in your hands now.” Unfortunately, Silva couldn’t rise victorious and faced the consequences after UFC 315.
What do you think of the release of Bruno Silva from the UFC roster? Do you think he can prove himself at other fight promotions? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
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