Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Drew Dober (red gloves) bleeds from above his eye while fighting Jean Silva (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jean Silva entered enemy territory on short notice to face an always-dangerous Drew Dober, and picked up his second win in two weeks.
Silva (14-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) not only stepped up as a replacement for the injured Mike Davis on short notice, but also moved up a weight class to meet Dober (27-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC) at lightweight. The fight turned out to be an incredible battle that ended at 1:28 of Round 3 due to a nasty cut over Dober’s right eye.
Early on, it was apparent the judges’ input was not likely to be needed. The feel-out process didn’t last long, as Dober and Silva began firing hard shots as the opening round progressed. The cut that would eventually lead to the stoppage of the fight was opened on Dober during an exchange.
In Round 2, the striking intensity continued at a high pace as Dober stalked forward. In the closing moments, a Silva spinning back elbow connected flush to Dober, rocking him in a big moment just before the horn.
The ringside doctor assessed Dober’s cut between rounds, but the fight was allowed to continue.
Silva continued to land well in the final round, causing the cut to open up even more, and became too much for referee Herb Dean to ignore. After the doctor took another look, the fight was waved off.
Silva competed two weeks prior at UFC 303, defeating Charles Jourdain in a featherweight bout by second-round knockout. However, the victory was tainted by Silva’s weight miss by 1.5 pounds.
