In just three fights with the UFC, Jean Silva has already made history in the promotion.
Two weeks after impressively knocking out Charles Jourdain at UFC 303, Silva accepted the call from the matchmakers to turn around and face Drew Dober at UFC Denver. While the shortened length between fights was already an impressive feat, the location of the July 13 event provided an additional obstacle due to the mile-high elevation of Denver.
Jean Silva Earns a Doctor Stoppage Victory at UFC Denver
FEWEST DAYS BETWEEN WINS – Modern UFC History
10 – Khamzat Chimaev
13 – Chas Skelly
14 – Sean Strickland
14 – Jean Silva
14 – Chris Leben#UFCDenver pic.twitter.com/qO1wdhndcQ— UFC (@ufc) July 14, 2024
In the third-to-last fight of UFC Denver, lightweight veteran Drew Dober was expected to face rising contender Mike Davis. However, a catastrophic bicep injury sidelined Davis, causing Jean Silva to step in on short notice.
Silva, a career featherweight, accepted the call immediately after his win at UFC 303. As one of the most confident fighters on the UFC roster, the Brazilian told media all week he would continue his knockout streak against Dober, who entering July 13 had only lost by knockout twice in 51 professional fights.
From the gun, Silva immediately established a speed advantage, clearly seeing every strike coming while countering with perfection. The very first combination the 27-year-old landed cut the eye open of Dober and the damage only furthered for the remaining 11 minutes of the fight. Referee Herb Dean called for an official timeout at 1:38 of the third round and the cage-side physician waved off the action just seconds later.
Jean Silva Joins an Elite Group With UFC Denver Win
Not only did Jean Silva likely earn a hefty paycheck for turning around two weeks after fighting but he set a UFC record that will likely stay intact for quite some time. With his win over Drew Dober, Silva tied Sean Strickland and Chris Leben with the third-fewest days between a pair of wins in UFC history with 14.
In the elite group Silva joined, only Chas Skelly and Khamzat Chimaev top him with fewer days between victories. Skelly picked up two wins in 2014 13 days apart while Chimaev holds the record with two wins in 10 days in his first two fights in the UFC.
However, of the fighters to successfully complete a quick turnaround, Silva is the only one of the group to win both fights by knockout. The win over Dober was officially the result of a doctor stoppage but will go down on both men’s respective records as a TKO finish.
Jean Silva Becomes Just the Third Fighter to Knock Down Drew Dober
Jean Silva is not the first fighter to insist that he would win his matchup by knockout but is one of the best at delivering on his promises in nearly every outing. While his in-cage showboating has turned away some fans, Silva’s confidence has been backed up in each UFC outing thus far with three knockout wins.
Despite being the undersized man, Silva beat Dober in nearly every exchange, avoiding the power shots of the UFC lightweight knockout leader and landing precise counters without fail. At the end of the second round, Silva landed a perfectly timed spinning back elbow directly on the face of Dober that wobbled him to the point of being saved by the bell.
Silva landed the same spinning elbow early in the third round to further slice open the cut above Dober’s eye and drop him on the canvas for just the third time in the UFC. For as much as Dober is known for his knockout power, he is equally as recognized for his nearly unbreakable chin that has consistently held up through numerous bloody battles.
