Jean Silva nearly stumbled, but ultimately he got the result he needed Saturday in the UFC Fight Night 288 main event.
After suffering his only octagon loss to Diego Lopes in the 2025 Noche UFC headliner, Silva (18-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) was positioned in the same spot this year at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz. He nearly slipped up when short-notice underdog Jose Delgado (12-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) dropped him in the first round, but ultimately "Lord" prevailed with a third-round submission.
Silva was originally scheduled to fight Yair Rodriguez on this date before injury derailed the bout. If he'd won that matchup in this fashion he would be tough to deny to challenge the winner of the UFC 333 featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski
and Movsar Evloev. Now, though, the door is still open for it to be taken from him.
That's why you saw Aljamain Sterling (26-5 MMA, 18-5 UFC) immediately call for a title eliminator with Silva after the fight.
Still, though, Silva should feel good about his chances at getting either Volkanovski (28-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) or Evloev (20-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC), because he's probably the most promotable name at the top of 145 pounds right now. Whether you like his unusual approach to life or find it utterly cringe, you can't it's unique. You also can't deny he's dangerous and talented, even if there's is obviously some flaws in his game that might be needed to win the championship.
Nevertheless, Silva got his hand raised, and it's not his fault that Rodriguez diminished this spot by pulling out. He did his job and showed up, and it would not at all be surprising to see him rewarded for it. Before anything is certain, though, we must see what happens between Volkanovski and Evloev on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (Paramount+).
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Jean Silva after Noche UFC win?
