Matt Brown and Erick Silva Hope To Silence Their Critics With Violence At UFC Fight Night 40

By Raphael Garcia

Every so often the UFC books a bout that screams pure excitement. When it was announced that Matt Brown would be facing Erick Silva in the main event of UFC Fight Night 40, this bout became one of the most-anticipated fights this year. While it features two fighters who have come to epitomize violence within the Octagon, there are also two very important storylines coming together once the cage door closes.

On one side there is the 18-11 Matt Brown. There was a point where Brown was well on his way to being cut from the UFC.. He had dropped three fights in a row and struggled against anyone who had decent submission chops. Then UFC 143 came around, and all of that seemed to change. Since that point forward, the Ohio native has been on a six-fight win streak, and that isn’t even the most impressive part. During these six fights only one of these opponents has been able to make it through the whole 15 minutes. Brown rewarded that individual, Stephen Thompson, with one of the most brutal beatings in 2012.

With this run Brown has slowly crept up the welterweight rankings. Even though some will detract from his recent success because he hasn’t defeated a fighter ranked in the top 15 of the division, he still deserves mounds of credit for the way he has reinvented his career. Brown has emerged as a fan favorite that will always go out and put on a show for those fans — a mentality that the UFC greatly rewards. An injury forced him out of his moment to shine in a high-profile bout against Carlos Condit late last year, but when one door closes, another opens, and this moment seems better suited for the 33-year-old fighter.

In the other corner is Erick Silva. Just two short years ago he had set the MMA world on fire with the way he debuted for the UFC at UFC 134. The promotion believed it had found another Brazilian fighter who would provide highlight after highlight. Even though he was disqualified in his next bout, against Carlo Prater at UFC 142, Silva was still considered the fighter to watch at 170 pounds after decimating Charlie Brenneman at UFC on FX 3.

The UFC looked to take advantage of his skills and rising star power by matching him against Jon Fitch at UFC 153. Fitch, who at the time seemed to be fighting for a roster spot, did exactly what he had been known to do and stifled Silva just enough to pull out the decision victory. It seemed to be only a slight hiccup, as the AKA standout was one of the best 170-pounders the sport has ever seen. Yet Silva would falter again when placed into a matchup against another top fifteen fighter in Dong Hyun Kim. The “Stun Gun” stopped the Brazilian in the second round of their fight, raising questions of whether Silva is really who the UFC thought he was.

Pairing Brown and Silva creates the perfect matchup for both competitors. Brown now has the main stage opportunity that he needs at this point in his career to show that he can perform when all of the eyes are on him. Silva needs to prove that he isn’t an undercard fighter who will excel only when matched against lesser competition. A win for Brown should place him within the top ten of a division that has greatly grown in excitement during the past few months. A win for Silva will stave off the doubters that grow louder each time he steps into the cage.

When these two stories converge in the Octagon on Saturday in the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, there will be violence. Anything less and this fight would almost be considered a failure on the part of both parties. Fortunately for the UFC and fight fans, neither of these athletes have performed in such a manner to create a shred of doubt that someone is going to go out on their shield. But whichever fighter comes out on top will have made a statement, one which should silence some of the questions that have been raised about them for the near future.