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Erick Silva
Érick Silva.jpg
Erick Silva
Born (1984-06-21) June 21, 1984 (age 40)
Vila Velha, Espirito Santo, Brazil
Other names A Fierce Tiger
Residence Vila Velha, Espirito Santo, Brazil
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg)
Division Welterweight
Middleweight
Reach 74 in (188 cm)
Team X-Gym (2005–2016)
Kings MMA (2016)
Tiger's Den MMA (2016–2018)
Team Nogueira (2018–present)
Rank Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Black belt in Judo
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

Erick Silva (born June 21, 1984) is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. A professional from 2005 till 2019, he competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator MMA, and Jungle Fight, where he was the inaugural Welterweight Champion. He is also former UFC Bantamweight fighter Gabriel Silva's big brother.

Mixed martial arts career

Background and early career

Silva comes from Vila Velha, Brazil and was an X-Gym training partner for the likes of Anderson Silva, Rafael Feijao and Jacare Souza.

Jungle Fight Championship

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.

At Jungle Fight 11, he defeated Igor Fernandes via unanimous decision. 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. The event, which went down as one of the wettest in MMA history was not a successful one for Silva who hit his downed opponent with a knee, resulting in a no contest verdict.

Silva won his next fight, at Jungle Fight 21, via TKO (knee and punches) in the second round.

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. 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.

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. Silva therefore became the inaugural Jungle Fight Welterweight champion.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Silva signed with the UFC in early 2011. He was expected to make his debut against Mike Swick at UFC 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 by Luis Ramos. Silva won quickly via first round TKO due to punches.

Silva was expected to face promotional newcomer Siyar Bahadurzada on January 14, 2012, at UFC 142. However, Bahadurzada was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Carlo Prater. 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.

Silva then faced Charlie Brenneman on June 8, 2012, at UFC on FX 3. Silva won the fight with a rear-naked choke late in the first round.

Silva faced Jon Fitch on October 13, 2012, at UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After three rounds, Silva lost the fight via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 29–28). The performance earned both participants Fight of the Night honors.

Silva was expected to face Jay Hieron on February 2, 2013, at UFC 156. However, Silva pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Tyron Woodley.

Silva was expected to face John Hathaway on June 8, 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV 10. However, Hathaway was pulled from the bout in late April and replaced by Jason High, who was already scheduled on the card against Ildemar Alcantara. Silva won the fight via triangle armbar submission. The finished earned him his second Submission of the Night bonus.

Silva faced Dong Hyun Kim on October 9, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 29. Kim defeated Silva via second round KO.

Silva was expected to face returning veteran Nate Loughran on February 15, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 36. However, Loughran was forced out of the bout with an injury. Silva instead faced promotional newcomer Takenori Sato. He won the fight via TKO early in the first round. The win also earned him one of the first UFC Performance of the Night bonus awards.

Silva faced Matt Brown in the main event at UFC Fight Night 40. He lost the fight via TKO due to punches in the third round. Despite the loss, Silva was given a Fight of the Night bonus award for his performance.

Silva faced Mike Rhodes on December 20, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 58. He won the fight by technical submission in the first round. The win also earned Silva his second Performance of the Night bonus award.

Silva was expected to face Ben Saunders on March 21, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 62. However, on March 6, Saunders was forced from the fight citing an injury and was replaced by Josh Koscheck. Silva won the fight by submission in the first round.

Silva was expected to face Rick Story on June 27, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 70. However, Silva was removed from the card on June 19, after visa issues restricted his entry to the United States. In turn, Story was removed from the card as well. The bout with Story was rescheduled and was expected to take place on August 23, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 74. Subsequently, Story pulled out of the bout on August 11 citing injury and was replaced by Neil Magny. Silva lost the fight via split decision.

On March 5, 2016, Silva faced Nordine Taleb at UFC 196 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round. 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 his Twitter account, releasing a statement and admitting it was "unethical".

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 face Brandon Thatch on September 24, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 95. However, Thatch pulled out of the fight with an undisclosed injury and was subsequently replaced by Luan Chagas. He won the back and forth fight via submission in the third round. Both participants were awarded Fight of the Night honors.

Silva faced Yancy Medeiros on June 3, 2017, at UFC 212. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round.

Silva faced Jordan Mein on December 16, 2017, at UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. dos Anjos. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. The fight with Mein was the last of his contract with UFC.

Legacy Fighting Alliance

Following his departure from the UFC, Silva signed with Legacy Fighting Alliance and debuted in the main event at LFA 45 against Nick Barnes on July 20, 2018. He won the fight via submission in the first round.

Bellator MMA

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 against Lorenz Larkin at Bellator 207, but was forced to pull out due to an injury on October 1, 2018.

Silva made his promotional debut against Yaroslav Amosov at Bellator 216 on February 16, 2019. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Silva faced Paul Daley at Bellator 223 on June 22, 2019. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Silva announced his retirement from MMA in 2022 after revealing that he had suffered a heart attack due to complications from Covid-19.

Personal life

Erick and his wife Isabela have two sons.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

  • Ultimate Fighting Championship
    • Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Jon Fitch, Matt Brown, and Luan Chagas
    • Submission of the Night (Two times) vs. Charlie Brenneman and Jason High
    • Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Takenori Sato and Mike Rhodes
  • Jungle Fight Championship
    • Jungle Fight Welterweight Championship
    • Jungle Fight Welterweight Tournament Champion
  • MMAJunkie.com
    • 2014 May Fight of the Month vs. Matt Brown
  • Sherdog
    • 2012 Robbery of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
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

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Erick Silva para niños

  • List of male mixed martial artists
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