After Jean Silva's Brutal TKO, Have The Fighting Nerds Been Officially 'Fraud Checked' Or Are They Still Legit?

Some of the harshest internet critics have seized upon their recent setbacks to declare the entire operation fraudulent, donning them with a colloquialism that gained significant traction in the 2020s. The term? "Fraud checked."

Here are some UFC fan reactions to the team's recent setbacks:

Amidst the criticism, however, head coach Pablo Sucupira offers his perspective on losing that contradicts many fan sentiments.

"I am okay with them losing. Our biggest asset is how we grow after defeat," Sucupira stated in an interview with StandMeUp after the losses of Mauricio Ruffy and Caio Borralho at UFC Paris.

Despite Silva's loss to Lopes, "Lord" bounced back from the early storm in the first round, putting on a striking clinic in the first half of the second round until Lopes caught him with the spinning elbow that dropped him. One can also point to Carlos Prates' knockout victory over Geoff Neal following his loss to Ian Garry as evidence that his fighters evolve through adversity. 

Sucupira's long-term perspective, while admirable, does little to contradict the fact that championship aspirations require winning the most important fights.

The path to redemption for The Fighting Nerds remains achievable but requires immediate course correction and a return to the drawing board.

Each fighter faces distinct challenges. Silva must address defensive vulnerabilities in wrestling and striking, Borralho needs to demonstrate adaptability against elite competition, and Ruffy requires fundamental grappling development. Prates, however, might just need to stop smoking cigarettes.

While internet declarations of their fraud status are possibly premature and slightly exaggerated for some members of the team, these fighters must now prove their early success was more than just a flash in the pan. Their future hinges on adopting their coach’s approach to taking losses as an opportunity to learn and turning that philosophy into tangible improvements.

Fans will be watching closely to see if these self-proclaimed "nerds" can do their homework and make the necessary adjustments to silence their critics and eventually capture a belt.