Joaquim Silva feels he’s getting the opportunity of a lifetime at UFC on ESPN 46
This Saturday, the Brazilian returns to the octagon to take on Arman Tsarukyan in a co-main event clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+. It’s a key matchup for Silva (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), as he takes on a top-10 opponent of the official UFC lightweight rankings.
“This is my moment,” Silva told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 46 media day. “I’ve been in the UFC for a long time, and I’ve been working for this moment. But yeah, I’ve been training a lot for my whole life. This fight for me is my life, my style. I stayed in the UFC seven years, this is my moment. I’ve worked for this, and I’m very excited, very happy.”
Although not direct training partners, Silva and Tsarukyan (19-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) train under the same team – American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. Silva hasn’t felt weird about the two training under the same roof, he said, and in fact, it’s motivated him.
“I don’t have a (bad) feeling a bout this guy,” Silva said. “I think he’s a good guy. I look at him two times during my day, and it’s really good because it helped me. I looked at him training, and I would train more.
“I trained separate with my coaches and training partner, but we don’t have a problem. After this fight, I will hug Arman to thank him for the opportunity. This is No. 8 or 9, I don’t remember exactly, but this is good for me. It’s a big opportunity.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 46.
Unranked Joaquim Silva has plan to upset Arman Tsarukyan at UFC on ESPN 46: ‘This is my moment’