For Bruno Silva, UFC 315 is a critical fight, and his former opponent Alex Pereira was instrumental in securing him this final opportunity in the octagon.
Silva, known as “Blindado,” and Pereira formed a friendship following their 15-minute bout in 2022. That fight ended Silva`s impressive seven-fight knockout streak and marked the beginning of a difficult period with six losses in seven fights. Now, facing Marc-Andre Barriault this Saturday in Montreal, Silva understands his career is on the line.
Getting this fight is already a significant opportunity, especially since Silva had been informed of his release after a poor showing against Ismail Naurdiev last October.
“I got back home from Abu Dhabi the Monday after the fight, and my team and I knew there was a 100 percent chance I was getting cut,” Silva revealed. “Four losses. And not only losses, but really bad performances… I wasn’t fighting to win, I was fighting to survive. And the last fight was the worst. All I thought was, ‘God, get me out of here. I don’t want to be here. I can’t do this anymore. Not like this.’ I still survived all three rounds. I fought really bad, but still survived.”
One evening, alone with his daughter at home while his wife and mother were in Curitiba, Silva tucked his daughter into bed. He then checked his phone and saw a message from Alex “Poatan” Pereira. The Brazilian star, who held the UFC light heavyweight title at the time, reached out to ask how Silva was doing after his fourth consecutive defeat.
“I called him to chat and told him what was going on,” Silva explained, referencing the mental health struggles he had recently disclosed publicly. “I feared it was the end of my career.” Pereira responded, “`I`ll give you an idea: why don`t you talk to [UFC matchmaker] Mick [Maynard]? Why don`t you reach out to the UFC directly and explain what`s happening? I know you, I fought you, and I know you`re fighting way below your potential.`”
Since Silva anticipated being released anyway, he felt there was nothing to lose by trying. He discussed it with his manager, Bernardo Serale, and drafted a message to Maynard, which was sent via Instagram. Silva, who doesn`t speak English fluently, wasn`t accustomed to communicating with Maynard directly.
According to Silva, Maynard replied, “`Bruno, I understand you, but it`s four losses in a row. Unfortunately, there`s nothing I can do.`”
Just two days after his loss to Naurdiev in Abu Dhabi, on Monday, Oct. 28, Bruno Silva`s time as a UFC fighter came to an end.
“I went back to my bedroom and started praying,” Silva recounted. “‘God, please give me another chance. Don’t let it end like that. I came this far, to the world’s biggest organization, and when I needed my health the most, I have problems. Help me.`”
Minutes later, Silva left the room, determined to try again. This time, he decided to write and translate the message himself.
Silva recalled writing, “`Mick, I`ve never said `no` to any fight and never turned down any opponent. I fought everyone you offered. Nobody wanted to fight Poatan, and I did. Nobody wanted to fight Shara [Magomedov], and I did. There was no one I refused. You know my performance has dropped, but give me some time, man. Let me get treatment, take care of my head. Let me see a psychiatrist and take medication; let me find balance again.`”
The message was sent. A reply arrived just a few minutes later.
According to Silva, Maynard`s response was: “`Bruno, I`ll give you one more fight. If you lose, there`s really nothing I can do. It`s in your hands now.`”
Silva thanked Maynard and requested some time to get the help he needed.
“I dove head first into my health because I needed it,” Silva stated. “Not only for my career, but also for myself. People thought I was depressed. No, far from that. I love life. I didn’t ask for this, but I had to fight it. I asked God for a cure. The psychiatrist said I had to find a way to live with it, and that panicked me. Then I realized I was asking God for the wrong thing. I was asking for a cure, and I wasn’t willing to do my part? ‘God, please help me do my best.’”
The UFC middleweight began visiting a psychologist twice a week and a psychiatrist weekly. He supplemented this with videos, books, medication, and conversations with others who had faced similar challenges. As the crisis started to subside, his manager, Serale, texted him: “Let`s work?”
In February, Maynard contacted Silva`s team, offering a fight against Barriault for the May 10 event in Montreal. Silva felt confident enough to accept. His mother and brothers traveled to Curitiba to support him during his training camp, offering emotional support and guidance.
The fighter who once ventured into hostile territory like Russia to defeat experienced opponents needed to return to his core style, and UFC 315 could be the moment for that.
“When the fight was booked, I watched three of his fights and then told [coach Andre] `Dida` to just tell me what needs to be done, and that`s it,” Silva shared. “If you see me covered in blood with my hands raised, that`s the ultimate happiness for me. I want to go in there and break him. I don`t want a nice technical game. I`ll do what I`ve always done: have fun. I want to end the night feeling proud of myself. I want to go back home to the people who love and cheer for me and continue my legacy. It would be very unfair for my story to end like that.”
“When I beat him,” he continued, “I already know what I`m going to tell Mick, the UFC, and people who have gone through similar challenges. I want my story to serve as an example for them. It`s not the end of the world. Everything has a solution, everything has an answer, and you can recover if you believe in God. I see this fight as my rebirth, not just as an athlete, but as a person. It`s another chance for my career. I hope all the difficulties are now behind me and I get my hand raised in the end.”
