The UFC held its annual Noche UFC event on Saturday in Arizona in a fun card all-around. The main event saw featherweight contenders throw down as Jean Silva took on Jose Delgado who took the fight on short notice.
Silva was coming off a decision win over Arnold Allen and was 6-1 in the UFC, with his lone loss coming by stoppage to Diego Lopes. Delgado, meanwhile, was on a two-fight winning streak and was coming off a decision win over Austin Bashi and was 4-1 in the UFC.
Ultimately, it was Silva who secured a third-round submission win in what was a fan-friendly fight. Following the event, here is what I think should be next for the featherweight contenders after Noche UFC.
Jean Silva
Jean Silva was supposed to fight Yair Rodriguez at Noche UFC, but after the Mexican pulled out, Jose Delgado stepped up on short notice. It wasn’t the big name that Silva wanted, and it was a tough fight, as the Brazilian did get hurt early but was able to rally to get the stoppage win.
With the win, Silva showed he’s a true title contender at featherweight. With Alexander Volkanovski set to defend his belt against Movsar Evloev, a logical next bout is to face Silva vs. Lerone Murphy in a No. 1 contender fight. Murphy arguably beat Evloev in his last fight, so he is still in the title picture, and the fight could happen later this year or early 2027 as a Fight Night main event.
Jose Delgado
Jose Delgado stepped up on short notice to headline Noche UFC against Jean Silva. It was a worthy risk as had Delgado won, he would’ve been in title contention. Delgado had some success early on but ultimately got submitted.
Although Delgado lost, his stock only went up as he did go toe-to-toe with a top-ranked opponent. So, Delgado still should get a ranked opponent next, and a logical next fight is to face Steve Garcia. Garcia lost to Diego Lopes in a fight he got a chance to fight up the rankings, as both are finishers. The winner will get a top-10 opponent, while the loser becomes a gatekeeper for a bit and forced to fight outside the rankings.
What do you think should be next for Jean Silva and Jose Delgado after Noche UFC?
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