Jean Silva took his time making his way to the octagon during his debut walkout at UFC Fight Night 234, but made the wait worth it with a fantastic first-round finish.
Silva (12-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) savored his first walk to the UFC’s cage, moving like a sloth as he stared into the camera. According to the broadcast, his walkout took 3:40. In the fight, his opponent Westin Wilson lasted just a few more seconds than the walkout, which Silva finished by TKO at 4:12 of Round 1.
SILVA'S WALKOUT 👻👀 #UFCVegas84 pic.twitter.com/tbejmLpXoO
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 13, 2024
To start, Silva extended his hand to touch gloves, but Wilson (16-9 MMA, 0-2 UFC) wasn’t having it. Silva shrugged it off and began stalking him around the cage. Soon, explosive punches began finding their target, putting Wilson in danger.
The damage continued to accumulate and Wilson was on shaky legs late in the round, including a well-timed knee to the head by Silva that countered a takedown. Wilson still completed that attempt, but was unable to keep Silva down. “Lord Assassin” got right back up and put the finishing touches on the fight with powerful, well-placed punches that prompted the referee to step in.
SILVA WAS RUTHLESS IN HIS UFC DEBUT 👊 #UFCVegas84 pic.twitter.com/ia2vVInJ9n
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 13, 2024
Silva, who appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series in September, picked up his ninth career first-round finish as he also extended his current winning streak to nine.
“Nobody’s ever going to be able to stand with me, never,” Silva said through an interpreter during his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 234 results include:
- Jean Silva def. Westin Wilson via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:12
- Nikolas Motta def. Tom Nolan via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:03
- Joshua Van def. Felipe Bunes via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:31
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
