Jean Silva rejects Patricio Pitbull fight after UFC 331 callout
The Brazilian believes he has moved past the stage of facing opponents outside the top of the featherweight division.
Jean Silva has no interest in fighting Patricio Pitbull next. The Brazilian featherweight responded to Pitbull's callout after his UFC 331 victory over Doo Ho Choi by rejecting the former Bellator champion's challenge, arguing that he is now focused on pursuing a UFC title shot.
Pitbull called out Silva immediately after stopping Choi in the first round at UFC 331, saying he wanted to face "Lord" as he looks to move closer to title contention.
Jean Silva Says it is Too Late for Patricio Pitbull
A few days after UFC 331, Silva posted a video on his YouTube channel showing him watching the event live as Pitbull called out his name after defeating Choi. Following a brief moment of surprise, Silva immediately rejected the challenge, making it clear that he does not believe a fight against Pitbull makes sense for him at this stage of his career.
"Pitbull, you got me there, man," Silva said. "The time to look back (in the rankings) is over. I'm good without you guys. F*ck, Pitbull called me out for a fight. It's not going to happen now because I'm next to fight for the belt, that's why they want to challenge me."
Silva has won seven of his eight UFC appearances, with his only loss coming against Diego Lopes. Riding a two-fight winning streak, Lord submitted José Delgado at Noche UFC 4 earlier this month and believes he is next in line for a featherweight title shot.
Jean Silva Reminds Patricio Pitbull of Missed Opportunity
Silva also questioned why Pitbull did not ask to fight him earlier. The Brazilian recalled that Pitbull could have been his opponent at Noche UFC after Yair Rodriguez withdrew from their scheduled main event and José Delgado stepped in.
"Why didn't you ask for the fight instead of Delgado?" Silva said.
Pitbull, meanwhile, is coming off his first UFC finish after stopping Choi in the opening round at UFC 331. The former Bellator two-division champion improved to 2-2 in the UFC with the victory and immediately targeted Silva as his next opponent.
For now, Silva remains focused on pursuing a UFC featherweight title opportunity rather than accepting Pitbull's challenge.
