Tired of flying under the radar, the streaking Claudio Silva wants a ranked opponent at UFC London next.
[autotag]Claudio Silva[/autotag] quietly has put together a solid winning streak in the UFC’s stacked welterweight division, and thinks it’s about time people started mentioning his name.
Silva (14-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has won all five of his UFC fights, and since coming back from his nearly four-year layoff in 2018 has submitted three straight opponents.
Silva thinks he’s earned the right to face a ranked fighter next, but is not willing to trash talk to get attention. He says it’s the UFC’s job to promote fighters like him who are flying under the radar.
“I think 5-0 in the UFC is something big because it’s difficult for me to do my own media,” Silva told MMA Junkie. “I think the UFC should pay more attention to fighters. We are fighters – we are busy training. We’ve got to train, think about camps, work hard – that’s a difficult thing. Some people, they talk (expletive) and they get all the attention. I think the UFC should promote the fighters more, especially the up-and-comers that have many victories. So definitely, I think I’m under the radar.”
With the UFC announcing its return to London for March 21, Silva, who has spent more than 10 years in the U.K., would like nothing more than to compete on the card – preferably, of course, against a top-ranked fighter.
“Definitely, I would like to fight in March. I can be on the main card in London,” Silva said. “I’ve been living here for 12 years. I beat a lot of big names, good names: Leon Edwards, Nordine Taleb, I beat all those guys – Danny Roberts. I’m definitely a big name in the U.K., so they should give me the main card in London.”
Silva, who’s currently applying for a British passport, has competed in all but three of his pro fights in the U.K., and said the issue is none of the ranked fighters want to fight him in fear of losing their spots.
“I definitely want to fight a top 15 guy, but they don’t want to fight me,” Silva said. “I’m too risky for them. I don’t understand the rankings thing, how I’m going to get a ranked fighter, because they don’t want to fight me. They refuse me right now, so how am I going to get there if they refuse me?
“It’s not an easy situation. I don’t know how to get in the rankings. I know I’m the best fighter, but they just don’t want to lose their position and that’s why they keep avoiding me.”
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