Jean Silva Fires Back at Volkanovski’s Coach: “It Should Be Easy for Volk to Accept the Challenge”
Jean Silva has taken a dig at Joe Lopez after Alexander Volkanovski’s coach said the Brazilian has not earned a title shot.
Joe Lopez Says Jean Silva Has Not Earned a Title Shot
Speaking in an interview to Submission Radio after UFC 333, Joe Lopez said Silva makes “a lot of noise” but has not earned his spot. Instead, he has named Aljamain Sterling as the more deserving contender, if “Funk Master” gets past Kevin Vallejos at UFC Qatar on Nov. 21. Lopez spoke about Silva’s ground game and how the champion can exploit it:
“Look, he’s a powerful dude, and that’s all he’s got. If he catches you with one of his punches, he obviously can knock you out. But watching what Diego did to him on the ground and just mauled him, if Alex got him to the ground, it’ll be over. There are no questions asked.”
The coach was referring to Silva’s only UFC loss. Diego Lopes took “Lord” down in the first round and beat him up from full mount at Noche UFC in September 2025. He then knocked Silva with a spinning back elbow and punches in the second round.
Jean Silva Says Volkanovski Should Take the Easy Fight
Recently, Silva spoke to Helwani from The Ariel Helwani Show, where he pushed back on Lopez's comments and turned them into a challenge:
“It’s confusing to see that this guy who’s been around for a long time, who’s making him one of the greatest athletes ever, thinks that by watching those moments against Diego Lopez, I would become an easy target on the ground. The wins, the performances I’ve had in this organisation, I do believe I deserve more credit for that. But I think that’s even better, because if he thinks it’s that easy, it should be easy for Volkanovski to accept the challenge.”
In other words, Silva suggests that if Lopez is so sure Volkanovski would beat him easily, there’s no reason for the champion to say no.
The 29-year-old has a point about his recent form. Since the loss to Lopez, he has bounced back with wins over Arnold Allen and Jose Delgado. He was also cageside in Abu Dhabi for UFC 333, and after the fight he posted on Instagram:
“Great job legend @alexvolkanovski, I’m next.” This is not the first time Silva has gone after Lopez. Earlier this week, on his Instagram story, he pointed out that Volkanovski had named him as a possible opponent before UFC 333, only for his coach to say no.
For now, Volkanovski’s team still prefers Sterling, while the champion himself has also floated a superfight with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
