Bruno Silva, notable as the sole middleweight fighter to ever take Alex Pereira the full distance in a UFC bout, is no longer part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster.
Silva initially boasted a strong 3-0 record in the Octagon, securing all victories by knockout and earning performance bonuses. However, following his 2022 fight against former two-division champion Alex Pereira, his UFC career trajectory altered significantly. He subsequently lost seven of his next eight fights.
After spending four years navigating the challenging middleweight division, culminating in a loss at UFC 315 this past weekend, Silva`s time with the UFC has concluded. His removal from the official UFC roster this week confirms his departure after facing a difficult stretch of five consecutive losses.
Silva`s most recent bout at UFC 315 on Saturday resulted in a first-round TKO defeat against Marc-André Barriault. The fight was particularly severe, as Barriault`s elbows caused a visible skull indentation, rendering Silva unconscious for several minutes. He was transported via stretcher and briefly hospitalized but later provided an update to fans, confirming he was fine after being released the same night.
The pivotal fight between Silva and Pereira took place during `Poatan`s` second UFC appearance. Competing in the smaller UFC Apex cage, Silva stood toe-to-toe with Pereira, impressively avoiding being knocked down throughout the contest. At that point in Pereira`s UFC run, no opponent had survived more than two rounds against the former kickboxing champion after his debut loss.
Silva`s feat of reaching the judges` decision (a unanimous decision loss) was significant; he remains the only middleweight in the UFC to take Pereira the full three rounds. The only other fighters to go the distance with Pereira within the organization are current light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev and former champ Jan Blachowicz.
Following the fight with Pereira, Silva, nicknamed `Blindado` (Armored), faced a series of high-caliber opponents in the UFC. These included former champion Chris Weidman, prominent contender Brendan Allen, and the then-undefeated prospect Shara `Bullet` Magomedov.
Throughout his UFC tenure, Silva secured four knockout victories. Three of these wins earned him a $50,000 performance bonus. His notable knockout finishes were against seasoned fighter Brad Tavares, `The Ultimate Fighter 23` winner Andrew Sanchez, Jordan Wright, and Wellington Turman.
