UFC veteran Erick Silva (20-9-1NC) to make his Bellator debut at Bellator 207, however he has a tough assignment in front of him as he takes on another veteran Lorenz ‘The Monsoon’ Larkin 19-7-1NC MMA, 1-2 BMMA).
Silva started out as a promising prospect but eventually struggled to maintain consistency. After a 7-8 mediocre record, Silva got released by the UFC. Silva signed with LFA, and after a unanimous decision victory on his debut, Silva got the call from Bellator. Larkin on the other hand, got things back on track with a win after two consecutive losses to Douglas Lima and Paul Daley.
“We know the company (Bellator) has some big names and Lorenz Larkin is one of them,” he said, “so my Bellator debut can already be an amazing fight. This next fight is a really good match-up for me. In my last five fights, I had to deal with southpaw opponents, at least now I’m fighting an orthodox one. It’s going to match up well with my arsenal and the training we’ve been doing at Team Nogueira.”
Silva believes switching to Bellator has allowed him to keep his mind fresh which has later proved to be career defining.
“I’m really happy with this Bellator proposal,” Silva said. “It was an amazing opportunity that came up and I grabbed it immediately. I really needed a breath of fresh air. I had a great time in the UFC, which really made me grow professionally. Wins and losses aside, I could really grow in the UFC. But now I need something new, although the door will always be open for an UFC return, I have a lot of respect for them. However, I’m in a new home now and I’m really motivated to arrive here and fight among the best.”
Read also: