One More Chance for Bruno Silva

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Bruno Silva was given a longer leash than most by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Now, he gets his opportunity to reward the company’s loyalty.

The former M-1 Global champion will confront Marc-Andre Barriault in a three-round middleweight tilt as part of the UFC 315 undercard on Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Silva, 35, enters the Octagon on a career-worst losing streak, having lost consecutive bouts to Brendan Allen, Sharabutdin Magomedov, Chris Weidman and Ismail Naurdiev. Anxiety has been longstanding issue for the Brazilian, though he refused to blame it for his recent struggles.

“I realized I needed some time off,” he told Sherdog.com. “I took [UFC matchmaker] Mick Maynard aside and explained the situation. I needed time to take care of myself. He understood. He promised me time and one more fight. I started working with a psychiatrist, taking medication and giving more attention to the problem. The UFC believes in me and likes my work. I’ve never turned down a fight. Now, it’s a new moment. Both the good and the bad are in the past. It’s time to get another win, get my arm raised and keep moving forward.”

The capable Kill Cliff Fight Club-trained Barriault stands in his way. A former two-division TKO Major League MMA champion, he finds himself in a tailspin of his own. Barriault, 35, has his last three bouts, two of them by knockout. However, he owns an 11-1 record in his native Quebec.

“I’ve seen a few of his fights, and I knew we could be facing each other one day,” Silva said. “He’s experienced, but I’m more experienced. He’s a good striker [and] he’s strong, but now is a new moment. I’ll fight the way I used to, leaving all my problems behind. When my mind is at 100%, I’m very dangerous. It will be a great fight. I would love it if we were on the main card since he’s a local guy, but that’s OK. I’ll look to knock him out.”

Still stationed at the Brazilian TKO camp in Curitiba, Brazil, Silva remains as confident as ever in his preparation under longtime mentor Andre Amado.

“Not much has changed in my work,” he said, “other than a few adjustments and a new mindset.”

Silva understands his situation better than anyone else—another loss would almost certainly result in his UFC release—but plans to focus on the task in front of him.

“I’m not thinking about contracts or anything like that,” he said. “I only care about beating my opponent. It’s personal. It’s not personal against him. It’s personal with myself, especially considering everything that happened over the last two years. I need to apologize to myself. It’s time to overcome this, show my work and get a knockout.”