Former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson believes featherweight contender Jean Silva deserves the next title opportunity against Alexander Volkanovski. Following Volkanovski’s second-round TKO victory over Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, discussions have turned to who will challenge the champion next.
Title Contender Options for Volkanovski
While Volkanovski has expressed interest in moving up to lightweight for a superfight against champion Justin Gaethje, the featherweight division features several challengers. Potential contenders include the winner of an upcoming bout between Aljamain Sterling and Kevin Vallejos, as well as Silva, who attended UFC 333 from cageside.
Johnson stated on his podcast, co-hosted with Israel Adesanya, that he favors Silva for the title shot and views him as a tougher test than Evloev. Johnson described Silva as young, athletic, and entirely unafraid to take risks inside the octagon.
Johnson Highlights Silva’s Dangerous Style
Johnson pointed out that Silva might hold extra motivation because Volkanovski previously trained with Silva’s friend and teammate, Mauricio Ruffy. According to Johnson, Silva’s willingness to take chances makes him a unique threat compared to other fighters in the weight class.
Silva, 29, holds an 18-3 professional MMA record with a 7-1 mark in the UFC. The Brazilian fighter enters the conversation following a third-round submission win over Jose Delgado at Noche UFC, having secured 15 victories across his last 16 appearances.
