LAS VEGAS – It’s been a long time since Bruno Silva fought in home soil.
The last time “Blindado” fought in Brazil was back in 2017, which was four years prior to joining the UFC roster. Silva (13-5-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) returns to the octagon this Saturday, as he takes on fellow veteran Brad Tavares in co-main event of UFC Fight Night 222. The card takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+.
Approaching his sixth UFC fight, Silva is hoping to get booked for a future UFC event in his home country.
“I really miss fighting in Brazil,” Silva said through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “Since 2017, I went to Russia, California, and Vegas. There was that card in Brazil on January 21, but I had just come out of surgery, so I didn’t want to go through that.
“But if the UFC, if the opportunity presents, I would love to hop on that card after August. We would obviously consider fighting there after August.”
First things first, Silva needs to get back to his winning ways this Saturday, as he’s coming off back-to-back losses to former champion Alex Pereira and most recently Gerald Meerschaert.
Silva doesn’t want to promise that he’ll put away Tavares (19-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC), but says fans already know what to expect from him.
“I never promise anything, especially when it comes to fights,” Silva said. “Everybody that knows me knows that I’m a striker, and I’m always looking for the knockout, and this Saturday things are going to happen.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 222.
