Erick Silva “Very Happy” Following UFC Fight Night 95 Win

Erick Silva spoke with MMAjunkie about his win over Luan Chagas at UFC Fight Night 95 and more. Highlights are below:

On his win: “The win was different than the ones I had before – when I either finished or knocked them out in the first round. I was more strategic in this one, I tried to be. His hand did land and I had to come back to the second round still a little bit rocked, but I was able to keep it together and not bring out the ‘wild horse.’ That’s something we talked about a lot during our camp – Erick, you have to keep the ‘wild horse’ at bay, you need to be more strategic. We’ll win it round by round. And I tried to do that.”

On how Chagas fought: “I was actually a bit surprised because, for all that we studied his game, he also studied mine and didn’t throw strikes that we thought he was going to. But I knew at some point he’d expose a gap, and it happened at the right time. In the third round, if you look at it, I was landing many jabs, I felt he was very slow and if I had pressed him a bit more I could have maybe knocked him out. But I didn’t want to expose gaps that could have him hitting me. At some point he was going to open something, which is what happened – he was a little sloppy going for my legs and I was able to get to his back and get a finish.”

On enterting a new stage of his career: “It’s a new phase. Not that everything I lived in this octagon stayed behind, but I think it all served as experience so that this new Erick, in this new stage, could evolve a lot more. I still have a lot to show and evolve. I’m sure of it. This new team I’m at, in my hometown, near my son, my family, and the people I love– this is what’s making me happy. A good fighter is a happy fighter, and I’m very happy right now.”

On what’s next for him: “Right now, I’m very calm because of the camp I’ve had. Of course I want to take my next few fights slow, so that the expectations that people create around me don’t happen. But I also can’t say that I’m going to pick fights, or my manager. I’m sure with the training I’ve had, the people in my camp now, I am sure I can evolve a lot. I still have a lot of time to evolve and go back to being an Erick that people can count on at the top-10. That’s what I’m looking for. I’m not looking to be an athlete who does easier fights. I want to be an athlete who grows with each fight and can go for the belt someday.”