| Erick Silva | |
|---|---|
 Silva in 2015 | |
| Born | (1984-06-21)June 21, 1984 (age 41) Vila Velha,Espírito Santo, Brazil |
| Other names | A Fierce Tiger |
| Residence | Vila Velha, Espírito Santo, Brazil |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) |
| Division | Welterweight Middleweight |
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm)[1] |
| Team | X-Gym (2005–2016)[2] Kings MMA (2016) Tiger's Den MMA (2016–2018) Team Nogueira (2018–present)[2] |
| Rank | Black belt inBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu[3] Black belt inJudo[3] |
| Years active | 2005–2019 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 32 |
| Wins | 20 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 13 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 11 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By decision | 6 |
| By disqualification | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog | |
Erick Silva (born June 21, 1984) is a Brazilian formermixed martial artist who competed in theWelterweight division. A professional from 2005 till 2019, he competed for theUltimate Fighting Championship,Bellator MMA, andJungle Fight, where he was the inaugural Welterweight Champion. He is also former UFC Bantamweight fighter Gabriel Silva's big brother.[4]
Silva comes fromVila Velha, Brazil and was an X-Gym training partner for the likes ofAnderson Silva,Rafael Feijao andJacare Souza.[5]
Silva joined Jungle Fight, appearing at Jungle Fight 9 against Carlos Eduardo dos Santos. In the third and final round, Silva defeated dos Santos via rear naked choke.[6]
At Jungle Fight 11, he defeated Igor Fernandes via unanimous decision.[7] Silva followed that up with two further victories in the promotion.
Silva then competed in a unique fight of his career, at Jungle Fight 17, which was held outdoors. On the day of the event, the weather was clear throughout, until less than an hour before the start, when rain began to fall and never stopped.[8] The event, which went down as one of the wettest in MMA history[8] was not a successful one for Silva who hit his downed opponent with a knee, resulting in a no contest verdict.[8]
Silva won his next fight, at Jungle Fight 21, via TKO (knee and punches) in the second round.[9]
Silva then entered into the tournament for the inaugural Jungle Fight Welterweight Championship at Jungle Fight 23. Silva defeated both opponents on the same night to win the tournament.[5] His opening round matchup was against Gil de Freitas. The opening round saw Silva utilize his striking game to take the first round, though de Freitas came back strongly in the second round with his take downs and effective ground game. In the final round, Silva caught de Freitas with a roundhouse kick to the liver, dropping him. After Silva used ground-and-pound to set up a guillotine choke, de Freitas was forced to tap out.[5]
Silva progressed to the tournament final, where he faced the Mexican, Francisco Ayon. Ayon had just come off a split decision victory in the semi-final and he wasn't able to mount any offense against Silva, who took him down. After hitting him with several punches, Silva locked in an arm triangle choke to force the tap out with just 67 seconds on the clock.[5] Silva therefore became the inaugural Jungle Fight Welterweight champion.[5]
Silva signed with the UFC in early 2011. He was expected to make his debut againstMike Swick atUFC 134. However, on August 4, 2011, it was announced that Swick had to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury and was replaced byLuis Ramos. Silva won quickly via first round TKO due to punches.[10]
Silva was expected to face promotional newcomerSiyar Bahadurzada on January 14, 2012, atUFC 142.[11] However, Bahadurzada was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced byCarlo Prater.[12] After missing a looping right hook in the opening seconds of the fight, Silva quickly followed with a left knee to the body which effectively knocked Prater down. Prater caught Silva's knee and held on to his leg as Silva began attacking with hammer fists and punches to the head. During the attack, the referee,Mario Yamasaki, repeatedly warned Silva not to hit the back of the head. When Prater appeared to go unconscious and could no longer intelligently defend himself, Yamasaki stepped in and stopped the fight. Although Silva appeared victorious, Yamasaki disqualified Silva for strikes to the back of the head. The disqualification was later upheld by the UFC.[13]
Silva then facedCharlie Brenneman on June 8, 2012, atUFC on FX 3.[14] Silva won the fight with a rear-naked choke late in the first round.
Silva facedJon Fitch on October 13, 2012, atUFC 153 inRio de Janeiro, Brazil. After three rounds, Silva lost the fight via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 29–28). The performance earned both participantsFight of the Night honors.
Silva was expected to faceJay Hieron on February 2, 2013, atUFC 156.[15] However, Silva pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by promotional newcomerTyron Woodley.[16]
Silva was expected to faceJohn Hathaway on June 8, 2013, atUFC on Fuel TV 10.[17] However, Hathaway was pulled from the bout in late April and replaced byJason High, who was already scheduled on the card againstIldemar Alcantara.[18] Silva won the fight via triangle armbar submission. The finished earned him his secondSubmission of the Night bonus.
Silva facedDong Hyun Kim on October 9, 2013, atUFC Fight Night 29.[19] Kim defeated Silva via second round KO.
Silva was expected to face returning veteranNate Loughran on February 15, 2014, atUFC Fight Night 36.[20] However, Loughran was forced out of the bout with an injury.[21] Silva instead faced promotional newcomerTakenori Sato.[22] He won the fight via TKO early in the first round. The win also earned him one of the first UFCPerformance of the Night bonus awards.[23]
Silva facedMatt Brown in the main event atUFC Fight Night 40.[24] He lost the fight via TKO due to punches in the third round. Despite the loss, Silva was given aFight of the Night bonus award for his performance.[25]
Silva facedMike Rhodes on December 20, 2014, atUFC Fight Night 58.[26] He won the fight by technical submission in the first round. The win also earned Silva his secondPerformance of the Night bonus award.[27]
Silva was expected to faceBen Saunders on March 21, 2015, atUFC Fight Night 62.[28] However, on March 6, Saunders was forced from the fight citing an injury and was replaced byJosh Koscheck.[29] Silva won the fight by submission in the first round.[30]
Silva was expected to faceRick Story on June 27, 2015, atUFC Fight Night 70.[31] However, Silva was removed from the card on June 19, aftervisa issues restricted his entry to the United States. In turn, Story was removed from the card as well.[32] The bout with Story was rescheduled and was expected to take place on August 23, 2015, atUFC Fight Night 74.[33] Subsequently, Story pulled out of the bout on August 11 citing injury and was replaced byNeil Magny.[34] Silva lost the fight via split decision.[35]
On March 5, 2016, Silva facedNordine Taleb atUFC 196 at theMGM Grand in Las Vegas.[36] He lost the fight via knockout in the second round.[37] During the opening round, Silva extended his fist to Taleb to touch gloves in a sign of sportsmanship, but immediately landed a right hook as Taleb attempted to reciprocate it and respond to Silva's gesture. Taleb called the move dirty in a post-fight interview and stated he knew Silva was a "dirty" fighter. He received heavy criticism from fans and media and later apologized on hisTwitter account, releasing a statement and admitting it was "unethical".[38][39]
After the loss, Silva decided to establish his own fight team, Tiger's Den MMA, to be closer to his son, Kalleu. He brought in Andre Benkei to be his head coach. Silva was briefly scheduled to faceBrandon Thatch on September 24, 2016, atUFC Fight Night 95.[40] However, Thatch pulled out of the fight with an undisclosed injury and was subsequently replaced byLuan Chagas.[41] He won the back and forth fight via submission in the third round. Both participants were awardedFight of the Night honors.[42][43]
Silva facedYancy Medeiros on June 3, 2017, atUFC 212.[44] He lost the fight via TKO in the second round.[45]
Silva facedJordan Mein on December 16, 2017, atUFC on Fox: Lawler vs. dos Anjos.[46] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[47] The fight with Mein was the last of his contract with UFC.[48]
Following his departure from the UFC, Silva signed with Legacy Fighting Alliance and debuted in the main event atLFA 45 against Nick Barnes on July 20, 2018.[49] He won the fight via submission in the first round.
On September 6, 2018, it was announced that Silva had signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA. Silva was expected to make his promotional debut againstLorenz Larkin atBellator 207, but was forced to pull out due to an injury on October 1, 2018.[50][51][52]
Silva made his promotional debut againstYaroslav Amosov atBellator 216 on February 16, 2019.[53] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Silva facedPaul Daley atBellator 223 on June 22, 2019.[54] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[55]
Silva announced his retirement from MMA in 2022 after revealing that he had suffered a heart attack due to complications from Covid-19.[56]
Erick and his wife Isabela have two sons.[57]
| 32 matches | 20 wins | 11 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 4 |
| By submission | 13 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 6 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 1 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 20–11 (1) | Paul Daley | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 223 | June 22, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Loss | 20–10 (1) | Yaroslav Amosov | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 216 | February 16, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 20–9 (1) | Nick Barnes | Submission (armbar) | LFA 45 | July 20, 2018 | 1 | 4:43 | Cabazon, California, United States | |
| Loss | 19–9 (1) | Jordan Mein | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. dos Anjos | December 16, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | |
| Loss | 19–8 (1) | Yancy Medeiros | TKO (punches) | UFC 212 | June 3, 2017 | 2 | 2:01 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 19–7 (1) | Luan Chagas | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. Länsberg | September 24, 2016 | 3 | 3:57 | Brasília, Brazil | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 18–7 (1) | Nordine Taleb | KO (punch) | UFC 196 | March 5, 2016 | 2 | 1:34 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 18–6 (1) | Neil Magny | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Oliveira | August 23, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada | |
| Win | 18–5 (1) | Josh Koscheck | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare | March 21, 2015 | 1 | 4:21 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 17–5 (1) | Mike Rhodes | Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway | December 20, 2014 | 1 | 1:15 | Barueri, Brazil | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 16–5 (1) | Matt Brown | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Brown vs. Silva | May 10, 2014 | 3 | 2:11 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 16–4 (1) | Takenori Sato | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi | February 15, 2014 | 1 | 0:52 | Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 15–4 (1) | Dong Hyun Kim | KO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields | October 9, 2013 | 2 | 3:01 | Barueri, Brazil | |
| Win | 15–3 (1) | Jason High | Submission (reverse triangle armbar) | UFC on Fuel TV: Nogueira vs. Werdum | June 8, 2013 | 1 | 1:11 | Fortaleza, Brazil | Submission of the Night. |
| Loss | 14–3 (1) | Jon Fitch | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 153 | October 13, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 14–2 (1) | Charlie Brenneman | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall | June 8, 2012 | 1 | 4:33 | Sunrise, Florida, United States | Submission of the Night. |
| Loss | 13–2 (1) | Carlo Prater | DQ (punches to back of head) | UFC 142 | January 14, 2012 | 1 | 0:29 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 13–1 (1) | Luis Ramos | TKO (punches) | UFC 134 | August 27, 2011 | 1 | 0:40 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 12–1 (1) | Francisco Ayon | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Jungle Fight 23 | October 30, 2010 | 1 | 1:07 | Belém, Brazil | Won the inaugural Jungle Fight Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 11–1 (1) | Gil de Freitas | Submission (guillotine choke) | Jungle Fight 23 | October 30, 2010 | 3 | 0:57 | Belém, Brazil | Jungle Fight Welterweight Championship Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 10–1 (1) | Jose de Ribamar | TKO (knee and punches) | Jungle Fight 21 | July 31, 2010 | 2 | 3:39 | Natal, Brazil | |
| NC | 9–1 (1) | Henrique Oliveira | NC (illegal knee) | Jungle Fight 17: Vila Velha | February 27, 2010 | 2 | 3:57 | Vila Velha, Brazil | Welterweight debut. |
| Win | 9–1 | Jorge Luis Bezerra | Decision (unanimous) | Jungle Fight 15 | September 19, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | São Paulo, Brazil | |
| Win | 8–1 | Carlos Villamor | Submission (kneebar) | Jungle Fight 14: Ceará | May 9, 2009 | 2 | 3:38 | Fortaleza, Brazil | |
| Win | 7–1 | Igor Fernandes | Decision (unanimous) | Jungle Fight 11 | September 13, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 6–1 | Carlos Eduardo Santos | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Jungle Fight 9: Warriors | May 31, 2008 | 3 | N/A | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 5–1 | Fabio Issa | Decision (unanimous) | Open Fight | August 4, 2007 | N/A | N/A | Brazil | |
| Loss | 4–1 | Mario Neto | Decision (unanimous) | Superfight Vitoria | December 10, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Brazil | |
| Win | 4–0 | Leandro Zumbi | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | MMA: Kombat Espirito Santo | November 25, 2006 | 1 | 3:05 | Vila Velha, Brazil | |
| Win | 3–0 | Henrique Lango | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Guarafight 3 | August 12, 2006 | 1 | N/A | Guarapari, Brazil | |
| Win | 2–0 | Julian Soares | KO (punch) | Guarafight 2 | January 7, 2006 | 1 | 2:30 | Guarapari, Brazil | |
| Win | 1–0 | Fabiano Mastodonte | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Guarafight 1 | June 4, 2005 | 1 | 2:02 | Guarapari, Brazil |
