Jean Silva suffered a tough setback at Noche UFC, falling to Diego Lopes in a featherweight headliner in San Antonio. Lopes finished Silva in the second round with a spinning back elbow and follow-up ground-and-pound, leaving Silva bleeding heavily.
Post-fight tensions flared as Lopes criticized Silva’s team, while Silva was seen in tears backstage. On Sunday, Silva posted on Instagram Stories showing the damage to his face and issuing his first statement since the loss. He admitted fighting disconnected from his team and taking full responsibility.
“Look at this — cut here, my eye. Emotions ran high. I couldn’t see well in the second round and ended up going all out,” Silva said (translation via X). “I ended up fighting alone… it’s my responsibility. It should’ve been better, and let’s go.”
Silva acknowledged the losing streak affecting his team, including Caio Borralho and Mauricio Ruffy, and promised to regroup. “Whether you like it or not, I’m very sorry, but we will come back,” he added.
Both Silva and Lopes earned the ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus of $50,000, while Lopes also claimed a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus, bringing his total post-fight bonuses to six from eight UFC bouts.
