There are a handful of keys to stardom in MMA. More often than not, it takes a fighter having a natural charisma or undeniable entertainment value, either inside the cage or out. If you’re lucky, you’ll ideally have both. It also doesn’t hurt to stay as active as possible. Like many of his teammates from Brazil’s Fighting Nerds, Jean Silva has parlayed that tried-and-true formula into becoming a fan favorite in 2025.
In just a short amount of time, the Nerds have burst onto the UFC scene, with each core team member becoming a notable contender in their respective division. And at featherweight, Silva is that guy.
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After five impressive stoppage wins in the UFC, “Lord” enters his first promotional main event on Sept. 13 when he meets recent title challenger Diego Lopes at Noche UFC. Not only that, but despite Lopes’ recent bout for the belt, Silva has been listed as high as a 2-to-1 betting favorite with BetMGM.
“It means that the work is paying off — they’re seeing what’s going on and the message is being given,” Silva told Uncrowned. “Every time I step in the Octagon, you see — that’s the message being given to people, that’s what they’re getting from it. Nothing’s going to change.
“On Sept. 13, I’m going to knock Diego Lopes out.”
Silva, 28, has been a consummate finisher in the UFC, refusing to leave his results in the hands of the judges across five Octagon appearances. It’s been a common theme among the Nerds, and with Silva’s confidence at an all-time high following an April beatdown of Bryce Mitchell, he doesn’t expect things to change against Lopes.
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What has changed, however, is the preparation. Silva has yet to fight beyond three rounds in his career, let alone compete in a fight scheduled for 25 minutes. When his welterweight teammate Carlos Prates went 25 minutes in an April headliner against Ian Machado Garry, the result was the team’s first UFC loss.
Silva said he’s made it a point to learn from Prates’ setback in order to avoid a similar outcome.
Simply watching that loss and rehashing the experience with Prates isn’t the only way Silva has been aided by his fellow knockout artist, though. Against Lopes, the 5-foot-7 Silva enters the Noche UFC bout at a clear size disadvantage, with the 5-foot-11 Lopes towering over him and possessing a longer reach.
Silva knows size is ultimately a factor beyond his control, but is thankful that the Fighting Nerds consist of many fighters larger than him, including the 170-pound Prates, who is replicating Lopes in camp.
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“We like to say, when you’re punching rocks, when you [then] actually go punch a wall, you just run right through it,” Silva said. “Right? The idea here is that you shed some blood in training, so no blood is shed up in the Octagon. That’s what we do over here.
Jean Silva is a perfect 5-0 in the UFC following his domination of Bryce Mitchell in April.
(Megan Briggs via Getty Images)
“I train with [lightweights and welterweights] all the time. These are the people that I train with — I train with people that are presenting me the challenge. Not only do they have the same frame as Diego, but they’re very, very hard to train against.
“So buddy, I am taking a beating in the training. But it’s for a good reason, because it’s hard training, easy fight. And we go through a lot of hard sessions.”
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It’s easy to believe Silva when he and his teammates have been so successful in such impressive fashions in recent years. A title shot for one or multiple of the Fighting Nerds feels like an inevitability, and with a potential win over Lopes, Silva sees himself being the first from his team to challenge for UFC gold.
“That’s exactly the plan,” Silva said.
“And I’ll tell you what, I’ve been training with a guy, Reginaldo Junior, he’ll be in the UFC soon. He’s 200 pounds and the same stature as ‘Volk,’ so I’ve been dealing with him. It’s hard, that’s the type of person I have to go against. But I’ll tell you this: When I beat Diego Lopes … I know one thing — my next fight is going to be for the title.
“[Current UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski] actually, in an interview, said that he would love to face me,” Silva continued, “and he actually thinks that I’ll match up well [at Noche UFC] and I will beat Diego. I can’t wait for that, maybe the end of the year in Vegas, maybe December.
“So that’s the plan: Fight for the title next.”
