Jean Silva is a Brazilian standout in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC Brazil
Jean Silva publicly vented about the troubled relationship with part of the Brazilian fans after their victory in UFC 314, in Miami (USA), last Saturday (12). In a live broadcast on the 'Ag Fight' channel, the Santa Catarina native criticized national fans for judging his failure in the weigh-in before the fight against Bryce mitchell and revealed that he does not intend to fight on Brazilian soil in the future.
Amidst the celebration of his fifth consecutive UFC victory, Jean Silva exposed accumulated frustrations. The Brazilian, who overcame Bryce mitchell by submission in the second round, stated that criticism related to excess weight at the weigh-in UFC 314 — 450 grams above the featherweight limit (65,7 kg) — were the trigger.
See too
“I’m not a big fan of fighting in Brazil. There are a lot of Brazilians who, today, many support me. But, until then, everyone was criticizing me. Ah: 'I’m going to fight in Brazil because of my people'. What people? What people?”, lamented the fighter, who needed an extra hour to adjust his weight the day before the event.
The scale failure, according to Jean, generated a wave of attacks on social media, with some fans openly rooting for his defeat. Regarding the decision to avoid fighting in Brazil, the member of 'Fighting Nerds' was emphatic.
“Until Friday, everyone was judging me for not making weight. What kind of people? Tell me, what kind of people? I’ve cried a lot about this, but I haven’t told anyone. I don’t care. I would care for my mother, but now, with better investment, I’m going to bring my mother (to the United States). If you stop and think about it, because of the fans in Brazil, I’ve never cared about praise or criticism. I love being praised. But after joining the UFC, I realized that I receive more praise from outsiders than my own ‘blood’,” he added.
Jean Silva cites 'lack of recognition' in Brazil
Jean Silva compared his reception abroad to his lack of recognition in his home country. The featherweight also cited Alex Poatán. For him, international success — like the support of American fans who stop him for photos — makes up for the disappointment with some of the local fans.
“Most of them are a bunch of idiots. I arrived here in the United States and the guys were like, ‘Will you take a picture with me?’. Poatan arrives in Japan, China, Australia and the guys stop everything. Poatan arrives in Brazil and there are barely any people waiting for him at the airport. Diego (Lopes) has more than enough support for Mexico, I totally support him,” he concluded.
The discontent does not, however, erase the meteoric rise of the Santa Catarina native. With 16 wins (13 in a row) and two losses in MMA, in addition to having been the highlight of the main card of UFC 314, he proved to be one of the promises of the division led by Alexander Volkanovsky.
His media stance, full of theatrical provocations — such as carrying a globe to mock Mitchell's flat-eartherism — pleases the organization, but divides opinions in Brazil.
The pre-fight tension against Bryce mitchell was already high. The American had been the target of global criticism after defending Adolf Hitler in a podcast, in addition to statements classified as anti-Semitic and homophobic. Jean, in turn, used the rivalry to create a media rivalry, including t-shirts with references to the film 'Inglourious Basterds'.
You need login To comment.