Jean Silva Eyes Booking vs. Diego Lopes: 'I’m Not a Good Fight for Him'

One of the main highlights of UFC on ESPN 59 in Denver was Jean Silva moving up a weight class to score his third knockout in six months against Drew Dober , a victory that came just two weeks after “Lord” finished Charles Jourdain at UFC 303 .

In an interview with Ag.Fight shortly after the bout, Jean revealed that the UFC had already nominated a veteran in the Top 15 to be his next opponent.

“Unfortunately, I still can't say anything, just that it will be at featherweight,” said the Fighting Nerds member.

Silva also promised that if the UFC needs him to step up again in the coming weeks, he will be available. His lone condition would be that the short-notice fight would take place at 155 pounds.

“My plan this year is to have three more fights at featherweight, but if the UFC asks me, exceptionally, to face a striker at lightweight, that could be a possibility,” Silva said. “But my focus is on my division.”

In a separate interview with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana, Silva spoke again about the enemy he so much wanted to face and explained the reason for his dislike.

“I admire a lot of guys in the UFC like Dober and many others who are great family men and always deliver great fights,” he said. “I was a fan of this guy, but one time I asked to take a photo with him and he let me wait for an hour. I thought he was cool, but he's actually an asshole. I'm almost certain that one of my functions in this sport is to take charges. He will take a beating and learn to be humble. When I hit this guy and see his head split open, I’m not going to tell the referee.”

In an interview on Renato Carneiro ’s podcast before the fight in Denver, “Lord” gave two tips to those curious about who his opponent could be.

“I want to fight two guys in the division. Dan Ige and Diego Lopes ,” he said. “I saw Diego Lopes fight, and definitely I´m not a good fight for him. My striking level is much better than his. He has an absurd ground level, so competing against his jiu-jitsu wouldn't work very well today. I'm not going to be a hypocrite. But the moment he gets in front of me…”