Jean Silva’s knockout power can spell Bryce Mitchell’s Doom in UFC 314.
And not only the end of their fight, but also the end of Mitchell’s career.
There was a lot of bad blood between Silva and Mitchell this Saturday in the lead-up to the featherweight contest in Miami. Mitchell gained much attention, and deserved criticism for his offensive comments that supported Adolf Hitler and questioned the existence of the Holocaust.
On UFC 314 Media Day on Wednesday, Silva is asked how he expects the fight to unfold, warning that Mitchell could suffer a second catastrophic knockout loss on three appearances.
“He fought Ilia Toplia,” Silva said. “He beat Edson Barboza and Dan Ige. Everything was going well until Josh Emmett knocked him out. I think he really ruined his brain and his emotions.
“So the fight will go, he will try to defeat me, I will defend. I will try to throw some shots into his head and maybe knock him out first and second.
Silva humiliated Mitchell and went back and forth while suggesting that he could be friendly after the fight, but Mitchell expressed fierce distrust of Silva. Earlier in the media day, Mitchell stated that Silva “treat me like a complete shit,” claiming that evil spirits have plagued his dreams since their fight was booked.
Silva balked in the comments, but added that he has problems with Mitchell’s opinions and the way he chose to express them.
“I never downplayed him as a fighter,” Silva said. “His skills and abilities were fighting really tough guys in the UFC, but they actually confuse me. Contradictions.”
Silva vs. Mitchell was one of three featherweight fights on Saturday’s main card, with Alexander Volkanovsky and Diego Lopez winning vacant titles in the main event, while former Bellator star Patricio Pitbull making his UFC debut against former interim champion Aerodriguez.
Even with the power of the name in the rest of the lineup, Silva is sure he is considered a man who can steal the show.
“It’s crazy, we don’t even fight for the title, and we’re getting all this attention,” Silva said. “I’m glad Blythe noticed it. You have to give credit where the credits come, but look at the five fights in the UFC. Can you imagine the noise when fighting for the title?”