Jean Silva says fight night with Diego Lopes almost got started early Tuesday ahead of their UFC Fight Night 259 headliner.
Silva (16-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Lopes (26-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) are scheduled for a five-round featherweight bout on Saturday that top the Noche UFC card from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. There has been tension between the two in the media leading up to the key matchup, and it almost spilled on the opening day of fight week when they crossed paths at the host hotel.
“We saw each other today at the hotel. It almost went down,” Silva told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “But it’s all good. … He was with his team. A bunch of 135ers and 145ers. I was with my team. Some 170ers, some 185ers. I think the bigger dogs barked louder.
“He said a few things. He kept asking me how I liked it. Security kind of stepped in, but Flávio Álvaro, one of my coaches, an old-school guy, kind of came to him and said, ‘Bro, just chill out, or you’re going to get it here.’ You know how Brazilians are. … He’s really lucky that Carlos Prates is not here. Carlos almost beat up (Nassourdine) Imavov’s manager (in Paris). You can imagine this guy without people around what would happen.”
Despite the confrontation, Silva, who enters as the betting favorite after an undefeated octagon start filled with highlight finishes, said he’s not rattled. He sees Lopes as grasping at straws coming off a title-fight loss to Alexander Volkanovski in April, and said the result is decided before they step into the octagon.
“I’m already the winner, I’m already the world champ since I decided to join this,” Silva said. “It doesn’t really change anything, but the bets are still on if he still wants it, and I bet you that my purse is better than his.”
