Bruno Silva’s Reversal of Fortune

Bruno Silva’s five-bout run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been something of a Jekyll-and-Hyde experience.

The former M-1 Global champion will attempt to snap a two-fight losing streak when he confronts Brad Tavares in a UFC Fight Night 222 middleweight showcase on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Silva’s recent struggles are made all the more maddening by the fact that he kickstarted his campaign inside the Octagon with consecutive finishes of Wellington Turman, Andrew Sanchez and Jordan Wright, with two of those victories resulting in $50,000 performance bonuses.

“Those three fights in a row were unforgettable,” he told Sherdog.com. “The bonuses improved and changed my family’s life. I invested the money in our future. It was one of the most incredible periods of my career.”

Prosperity proved fleeting, however. Silva followed a decision defeat to Alex Pereira at UFC Fight Night 203 on March 12, 2022 with a submission loss to Gerald Meerschaert at UFC on ESPN 41 five months later. The setback against Meerschaert—Silva succumbed to a guillotine choke in the third round—remains a sore spot for the 33-year-old Brazilian.

“My last fight was horrible,” he said. “I fought very badly. I underestimated my opponent. I was very mentally tired, as I’d had five fights in 14 months. Nothing worked. I wanted it to end soon and wanted to go home. It was literally a bad day at work that I want to erase from my memory. Unfortunately, it happened. Credit goes to him. He beat me.”

Silva continues to sharpen his skills at the Evolucao Thai academy fronted by Dream and K-1 Hero’s veteran Andre Amado in Curitiba, Brazil.

“I’ve been there for eight years,” Silva said. “I don’t do camps. I train there all year long. We have a ton of training partners. My changes this time around involve being leery of social media, taking care of my mind much more than before and focusing on my standup, ground and wrestling. I’m improving in every facet.”

Tavares provides Silva’s next test. The Hawaiian has been a mainstay on the UFC roster since he reached the semifinals of “The Ultimate Fighter 11” in 2010. Tavares’ 14 wins in the middleweight division tie him with Anderson Silva and Derek Brunson for second on the promotion’s all-time list at 185 pounds. The Xtreme Couture product last competed at UFC 276, where he wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous verdict against Dricus Du Plessis on July 2.

“Tavares is the kind of fight I like, because I know there’s a dangerous guy in front of me,” Silva said. “I rise to the occasion in that kind of situation. I feel good. I’ll do my best to win. I really believe it will be a great fight. My focus this time is not to put on a show but to beat him in any way possible: knockout, submission or on points. I will fight like never before, and this time, it will be for me, for everything I’ve been through. I will give myself this gift. It’s going to be a war.”