COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Losing taught Josh Silveira just how much he loves the sport.
Silveira was eliminated by Omari Akhmedov in the 2022 PFL light heavyweight semifinals, which marked his first-career loss. He was able to rebound with three straight wins this year to punch his ticket to the finals.
Silveira (12-1) meets Impa Kasanganay (14-3) in the light heavyweight final Nov. 24 at 2023 PFL Championships, which takes place at The Anthem in Washington D.C. and streams live on ESPN+ PPV. The loss to Akhmedov was a tough pill to swallow for Silveira, but he used it as motivation going into this year.
“What I learned about myself was understanding that PFL sometimes when they put you in a $1 million situation, you might think, ‘Is this it? Is this the end?’” Silveira told MMA Junkie at a PFL media day on Wednesday. “I didn’t win the million. Do I move onto something else? Obviously in this situation, that’s not me. That’s what it taught me: It doesn’t matter if it’s for $1 million or a world championship, it’s about love.
“I love doing this, so I knocked the dust off my shoulders and I got back to what I love doing. It’s a blessed life I have. The loss is just a little speed bump in the road, but this is my life. My biggest nightmare is not doing MMA, not waking up and punching a guy in the face, and getting punched, kicked, being exhausted. This is just my life, and that was the biggest takeaway from it.”
Watch Silveira’s full pre-fight scrum in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Championships.
How Josh Silveira’s first loss reignited his love for MMA ahead of 2023 PFL Championship
