Delgado Calls Silva 'Coward' Ahead Of Noche UFC 4

Jose Delgado plans to silence Jean Silva at Noche UFC 4.

Delgado and Silva meet Sept. 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, after Silva's original opponent Yair Rodriguez withdrew with an injury. Delgado stepped in and immediately turned the heat up, telling Ariel Helwani that Silva's quirky personality — the Brazilian is known for barking like a dog — is a front for a coward. "He needs that mask to make himself feel good," Delgado said, per Sherdog. "It's a disguise, and it's a farce. I don't respect it. I think it's cowardly. I will put him down like a dog. You just let the dog bark."

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Title Shot Motivation For Delgado

Delgado, who is 12-2 overall and 4-1 in the UFC, believes a win over Silva puts him in line for the winner of the UFC 333 featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. "I expect to break this guy," he told Helwani. "I expect a freaking stunner of a KO. If Jean Silva took out Yair Rodriguez, he'd be fighting for the title after Volk and Movsar fight. Why wouldn't I steal that spotlight?"

Silva carries a 17-3 record and has gone 6-1 in the UFC with five knockouts, his lone loss coming against two-time title challenger Diego Lopes. Delgado is riding back-to-back wins over Andre Fili and Austin Bashi.

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Noche UFC 4 airs Sept. 12 from Glendale.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Jose Delgado calls Jean Silva a ‘coward,’ vows to ‘put him down like a dog’