TLDR
- Jean Silva called his loss to Diego Lopes at Noche UFC 3 his favorite UFC fight
- Lopes stopped Silva with a spinning backfist in the second round last September
- Silva praised the fight because both men traded punches without grappling
- Silva rebounded with a win over Arnold Allen in January after the loss
- Silva headlines Noche UFC 4 against Jose Delgado on September 12 in Arizona
Sources: yardbarker.com | ufc.com
Jean Silva has named his only UFC loss as his favorite fight in the promotion. The Brazilian featherweight told fans this week that his defeat to Diego Lopes at Noche UFC 3 last September stands out above all his other fights.
Silva explained on social media that the fight was special because both men were willing to trade punches without any grappling. “Two guys ready and willing to simply go at it with their fists, nothing more,” Silva wrote on X. “I love that.”
Lopes knocked out Silva late in the second round with a spinning backfist before finishing him with ground strikes. The loss ended Silva’s five-fight UFC winning streak. Silva had stopped every opponent before facing Lopes.
Silva Bounced Back With Win Over Allen
The 28-year-old featherweight recovered from the setback quickly. Silva earned a decision victory over Arnold Allen in January at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. The win helped him climb back into the rankings.
Silva now sits at number six in the UFC featherweight rankings. He is scheduled to headline Noche UFC 4 on September 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Silva will face Jose Delgado in the main event.
Jose Delgado calls Jean Silva a coward and vows to 'put him down like a dog':
"I expect to break this guy. I expect a freaking stunner of a KO.
If Jean Silva took out Yair Rodriguez, he’d be fighting for the title after Volkanovski x Movsar. Why wouldn’t I steal that spotlight?… pic.twitter.com/RqocCsHIz8
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 26, 2026
Silva was originally scheduled to fight former interim champion Yair Rodriguez. Rodriguez withdrew four weeks ago due to an undisclosed injury. Delgado, who trains at The MMA Lab in Arizona, accepted the fight on short notice.
“I wanted the same time, the same place, and there will be another fighter to fight me,” Silva said about the opponent change. “I just hope he recovers well and everything is well with him so he can continue to perform and work, because this is our work.”
Delgado is based in Glendale and was born in Yuma, Arizona. The 28-year-old joined the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series in summer 2024. This will be the biggest fight of his career.
Championship Fight on Silva’s Mind
Silva has made his next goal clear after this weekend’s fight. He wants to face whoever holds the featherweight championship. “Whoever has that belt,” Silva said when asked what he wants next.
The current featherweight title situation involves Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. They are scheduled to fight for the championship at UFC 333. Silva said he will wait for the winner of that fight.
“After that fight with Evloev and Volkanovski, whoever it is,” Silva said. He even joked that if both fighters retire, he wants to compete for the vacant title.
Silva has built a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters in the featherweight division. He has six wins and five finishes in seven UFC appearances. His aggressive style and emotional intensity have made him a fan favorite.
Meanwhile, Lopes is reportedly planning a move to lightweight. The fighter who handed Silva his only loss has challenged for the featherweight title twice without success. Both of those title attempts came after he knocked out Silva.
Silva will make his second appearance in a UFC main event this Saturday. He also headlined last year’s Noche UFC event, where he lost to Lopes. Limited tickets remain available for Noche UFC 4 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
