Silva Denies Slapping Delgado At Noche UFC 4

Jean Silva says he slipped when accused of slapping Jose Delgado after their Noche UFC 4 submission finish last weekend in Glendale.

The No. 6-ranked featherweight contender defended himself on YouTube after video circulated of what appeared to be a post-fight slap on Delgado, according to MMA Mania. Silva, who submitted Delgado in the third round, maintained he lost his balance when the referee intervened. "When I went to bark at him, he turned around with everything he had, the referee pushed me, I slipped, and it looked like my hand was on his face," he said, per MMA Fighting.

Silva Points To Clean Record In Previous Stoppages

Silva pointed to his track record in fights where opponents were hurt or submitted. He noted that he held back on elbows against Westin Wilson at UFC Vegas 84 when the referee told him to continue. "If you go back and look at my fights, when guys go down semi-conscious, giving up, I never go after them," Silva said. He dismissed comparisons to his post-fight incident with Diego Lopes at Noche UFC 3 last fall, saying that situation was different because Lopes had insulted his team.

Silva improved to 18-3 with the win and could be in line for a featherweight title eliminator next.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — ‘I slipped!’ Innocent Jean Silva debunks ‘20 videos’ of Noche UFC 4 slap attack