Joaquim Silva: A Changed Man

Everything was trending in the right direction for Joaquim Silva. His record stood at a perfect 10-0, and he had established himself as a person of interest in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division. Losses to Vinc Pichel and Nasrat Haqparast, sandwiched around a sensational knockout of Jared Gordon, curbed some of the enthusiasm surrounding him, but the Brazilian still seemed like someone who was headed down the right path.

Then a disastrous 2020 struck.

“I moved back to the United States but didn’t adapt well to my new home in New York,” Silva told Sherdog.com. “I flew back to Brazil when I found out my father had cancer. He underwent treatment but still passed away some months later. Losing my father really affected me. Ten days after his passing, I caught COVID. It was in the middle of the pandemic, and I was in a bad state. I had pneumonia. Thirty days later, the UFC offered me another fight, with three months to get ready.”

His ill-fated encounter with former World Series of Fighting champion Ricky Glenn lasted just 37 seconds at UFC on ESPN 25 in June 2021. So continued Silva’s downward spiral.

“Physically, I showed up in good shape, but mentally, I was still dealing with things,” he said. “I trained to make it through the fight. I was still struggling to breathe, but it’s no one else’s fault. I lost quickly. It was the first time I had lost two fights in a row.”

Adversity necessitated change, as Silva relocated to Coconut Creek, Florida, to train at the acclaimed American Top Team camp. “I gained a lot of experience training with the world’s best fighters,” he said. “I felt confident and comfortable. I have great coaches and training partners. We go through a daily trial by fire.” Results were immediate, as Silva rebounded from consecutive defeats and cut down Jesse Ronson with a knee strike and follow-up punches in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 211 pairing in October.

The remade 34-year-old Brazilian will return to the cage in the UFC on ESPN 47 co-main event, where a showdown with Arman Tsarukyan awaits on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Tsarukyan has won six of his eight bouts, having lost only to Islam Makhachev and Mateusz Gamrot.

“Arman is very tough. His record proves it,” Silva said. “He’s faced tough guys in the UFC. I’m very happy to be facing a ranked fighter. He does have good striking, but I’m sure he’ll try to take me down and control me on the ground. I see myself defending takedowns and staying on my feet. At the same time, even if I don’t use it too much, I do have good jiu-jitsu.

“I’m ready for everything: wrestling, jiu-jitsu and striking,” he added. “It’s not going to be an easy fight. I have to stay alert for all 15 minutes. He’s a very high-level fighter. At a high level, whoever makes fewer mistakes will win. Any error can be expensive. I know if I stay focused for the entire fight that I can be victorious in the end.”

The two men are keenly familiar with one another, which adds another layer of intrigue to an already compelling matchup at 155 pounds. They operate under the same flag.

“Arman is also from American Top Team, so I see him twice a day during training,” Silva said. “On the same day I accepted the bout, we trained in the same room. It’s an unusual situation. Seeing him around motivates me. If I see him running, I’ll run even longer. It’s a healthy competition. I have nothing against him. I’m happy with this opportunity. I’ll look for a finish, of course, but I do think it’s funny we see each other every day.”

Silva views the bout as just another step toward achieving the American dream.

“I’ve been living in ATT’s lodging,” he said. “I’m looking forward to winning well so I can get a double check and buy a house in Florida. That’s my focus and what I’m visualizing now.”