Ex-UFC champion called out by fellow MMA star for banger UFC 323 fight

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 8:31 AM ET

(Zuffa LLC)

Jean Silva wants to try and rebound from the first loss of his UFC career before the end of the year, preferably against Yair Rodriguez.

A member of Brazil’s “Fighting Nerds”, Silva was given the highest-profile fight of his MMA career earlier this month when he headlined the third edition of Noche UFC opposite former featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes.

Silva ended up suffering his first loss in the UFC when he was stopped in the second round, and less than two weeks after that result “Lord” has already taken to social media to try and set up a matchup with a former interim featherweight champion.

Jean Silva Calls Out Yair Rodriguez Following Noche UFC Loss

With 2025 and the UFC’s final year with ESPN rapidly coming to a close, Silva wants to return to the Octagon in December and square off with #3-ranked featherweight contender Rodriguez.

December? pic.twitter.com/8WVKk5uC6U
— Jean "Lord" Silva (@Jeansilvamma96) September 24, 2025

While Silva was stopped by a spinning elbow and ground punches at Noche UFC, the Brazilian immediately protested the stoppage and tried to go after Lopes in the aftermath of the fight. “Lord” competed three times last year after joining the UFC off of Dana White’s Contender Series, and a December return would also mark the 28-year-old’s third outing this year.

Silva vs. Rodriguez At UFC 323?

In contrast to Silva, Rodriguez has only competed once so far this year and gave Patricio Pitbull a rude welcome to the Octagon at UFC 314 when he defeated the former Bellator star via unanimous decision.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

That victory snapped a two-fight skid for Rodriguez, as the 32-year-old came up short in a featherweight title unification bout against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 290 before he was submitted by two-time title challenger Brian Ortega in Mexico City the following year.

“El Pantera” was briefly linked to a rematch with Volkanovski following their respective wins at UFC 314, but now it appears that Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy are the likely frontrunners for the next featherweight title shot.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

A win over Lopes at Noche UFC may have allowed Silva to leapfrog Evloev and Murphy in the featherweight pecking order following an undefeated start to his UFC career, and a bout against Rodriguez would give both men a chance to jump back into title contention. With Manel Kape and Brandon Royval already set to headline the last UFC card of the year on December 13, a Silva vs. Rodriguez matchup could feature as part of UFC 323 on December 6.