Joaquim Silva is targeting a December fight after returning to the winning track with a hard-fought decision over Claudio Puelles at Noche UFC in San Antonio, but would be ok with a November turnaround
if the opportunity is too good to ignore.
And even earlier than that, too, if the man standing across the cage is Charles Oliveira.
“Netto BJJ” knocked down Puelles late to secure the nod in Texas and was happy with his performance overall, and now raises his hand while seeing the promotion scramble to find a name to replace Rafael Fiziev against “do Bronx” in the main event of UFC Rio on Oct. 11.
“To be quite honest, I’m ready,” Silva said of possibly facing Oliveira in Brazil. “I’d fight because it’s a great opportunity. Charles is an idol for everybody, but this is our job. I need to work, he also needs to work. If this opportunity was presented to me — I already told my manager that I’m ready. I’d fight him, I’d make weight. But I know there’s a lot of people ahead of me. Big names, many people on long winning streaks at lightweight. … But if [the offer] was made, I’d definitely do it. It would be an honor to fight Charles in Rio de Janeiro. There’s no rivalry, no nothing. It’s work.”
Silva is not the first American Top Team athlete to volunteer for the task. Fellow lightweights Renato Moicano and Mateusz Gamrot took on social media over the past few days campaigning for the main event spot, and Silva has talked to Gamrot in Florida about that on Monday.
“He’s hungry for it,” Silva said. “He’s an athlete, always ready to fight, always asking to fight. I think he might get this fight since he’s ranked. But I don’t know if it’s interesting for Charles because Charles was training for a striker, someone who would stay on his feet. Gamrot has a different game, a wrestler with grappling who will try to take him down, work on that scramble like he did against Arman [Tsarukyan]. There was some striking in that fight, too, but it was more wrestling and grappling than MMA.”
“Netto BJJ” admits he would favor Oliveira in a potential clash with Gamrot, and explains why.
“Charles is more of a finisher, he’s dangerous on the ground,” Silva said. “And there’s also the camp factor, which I’m sure when you prepare for a fight for three months you’re body is better adapted to go three rounds at a higher pace, and it’s easier to get the victory. It’s very complicated if you take a fight on short notice. It’s a tough fight because of that. Gamrot has great cardio, good grappling and wrestling, and he’s strong. Same for Charles, who has excellent jiu-jitsu, most submissions in [UFC] history. It’s hard to pick, but I’d bet on Charles.”
