KMA-Congratulations on your recent win over Kimo Woefel. What fights do
you have lined up for the near future?

Silva-AW- First I would like to thank for the opportunity of this interview… I
have some offers to fight I Guam and California, but nothing signed yet. The
only set one for now is the Icon Sports again on December 1st against the
jiu-jitsu black belt Jay Jack for the national title of 170lb


KMA-Aside from MMA you have also been very successful in submission
grappling and Jiu-Jitsu matches. Are you interested in entering the
Mundials?

Silva-Of course. The jiu-jitsu mundial is one of the most important if not the
most important Gi competition in the world and it is a great opportunity to
evaluate you own technical level, but the distance, as the event is in
Brazil, the expenses make the mundial not to be a priority for me at the
moment.

KMA-Is grappling in Abu Dhabi something you are interested in?

Silva-Absolutely, the Abu Dhabi is the most important no Gi competition at the
moment, and to be part of it would be an honor.

KMA-How did you get into martial arts in the first place?

Silva-I trained Judo for several years from 6 years old until 17 I stopped at the
brown belt , I wasn’t motivated as I found out that Judo was more directed
towards the sport side, and ii was looking for something towards a real
fight. After some years I saw Royce Gracie in the tv and I was impressed
with the jiu-jitsu technique(that even after 9 years still impresses me with
the endless details of its techniques) , a friend of mine them took me to
train with Master Gutemberg Mello(Carlson Gracie) still in Brazil and 10
months after training I got the blue belt, and moved to Hawaii in the
following month. Since then I have been training with my Master Romolo
Barros(Rickson Gracie) with whom I learned a lot, and I am still learning
inside and outside the mate

KMA-Aside from Jiu Jitsu what other types of martial arts training do you have?

Silva-Judo ,Boxing , May thay, wrestling,

KMA-You are one of the best up and coming welterweights in Hawaii. You
have a good record of 5-1 and you have beaten all of your opponents by
submission. What do you think you need to do to rise to the upper
echelon of Hawaii's MMA fighters like: Egan, Niko, Ron, and Ray
Cooper?

Silva-To get to their levels there is no short cut and it is not easy, it is a
long road, for that reason many people give it up , but it is not
impossible, there are several factors: you need to have an open mind for all
learning experience and peek what is good for yourself, dedication, heart,
discipline, eat well and healthy, be involved with the right people and
believe in your self, but these are only factors that even thought it
depends only on you, in my opinion are the hardest to overcome, as you will
face them everyday in you workout routine. In my case, I think I deal with
them pretty well, so it is only a matter of keep training hard and always
trying to get better and improve in all levels, and also a bit of luck
always helps, the rest is consequences.

KMA-Are you interested in fighting in the UFC someday?

Silva-Absolutely, the UFC is know all over the world, it is a good exposure to the
fighter as it open doors for other events, smaller or larger like PRIDE.

KMA-Would you want to be on the reality show "The Ultimate Fighter"?

Silva-This is an opportunity that if it comes I will grab for sure. The fighter is
exposed there, even more that in a fighting event, not to mention that the
public has a chance to know the fighter also as a person.

KMA-You are a pretty big guy for the welterweight division. Do you have
any problem cutting weight? Can you cut down to 170 and still be 100%
for the fight? Other big fighters such as Jason Miller have said that
cutting that much weight can affect their conditioning.

Silva-I had problems in cutting weight some years ago, but not anymore. I read a
lot about physical preparation and other things that are in the area. As I
know how my body reacts with diets and exercises I can tell you that for me
to loose 10lb in one month is relatively easy , I just need the discipline.
So in the day of the fight I might not be 100%, but I can guarantee you that
I will be 90% of my potential and the other 10% my heart and the desire to
win will over come.

KMA-What are your hobbies outside of martial arts?

Silva-Read, writing, surfing, watch a good movie, play with my son, and spend time at the beach doing nothing resting.

KMA-I heard a robber broke into your house and you wrestled him down but
you didn't hurt him badly, what is the story behind this?

Silva-I was coming back from my training at UH and it was around 11pm, I hard a
hard training session with my instructor Romolo Barros as I was training
for a tournament that was on the way.
When I got home the front door was open, so I decided to enter carefully,
and when I walked from the kitchen to the living I saw a guy coming out of
my bedroom closing the door, and there were some things piled up in the idle
of the living room ready to be taken away, it was very dark and only the
light of our fish tank lighted the room. When he turned and saw me it
surprised him, and he run towards me and tried to grab me. I am not sure if
he wanted to attack me or if he just wanted to take me from his front to run
away. So we fought in the dark kitchen, the guy was probably high as he had
an impressive strength, first I got him on the anaconda choke and told him
not to react, my wife got up and come to the kitchen , she thought I was
rolling with a friend of mine that also has long hair looking like the
robber, so she started the grab my leg and pull, I told her it was a robber
So she started to scream and call the police, but the guy was able to get up
with choke locked and got out. We keep on fighting and the refrigerator door
opened and I was able to see his face, this lasted about 4 or 5 min, until
the police got to my house after the phone call was about 8 min, I mounted
him and he bit my chest and turned his back, so I got his back right after
and put him in a rear naked choke, I held him in this position until the
police arrived. The robber was already coming from another house that he
tried to burglarize, and when the police arrested him he was Ided by the
other people.
It was a crazy experience, luckily he dind’t do anything with my family and
wasn’t able to take anything.

KMA-Any word you would like to say to your fans and the Hawaii fans of MMA?

Silva-I would like to thank my family, my trainers (Romolo Barros, Kevin Yoshida
Haru Shimanishi e Marcelo) my students, my friends and all the people that
helped me and still help me , that keep on supporting MMA in Hawaii. I would
also like to say, that in life to be successful and be number 1 in anything
is difficult, but not impossible, don’t let people that think otherwise get
in the way. Believe in your self, never stop and keep walking forward even
if life makes you walk a little slower.
I would alos, like to thank my sponsors, without then I would be here giving
you this interview, the Brazilian Restaurant TUDO DE BOM (best food in
town), CHOSEN, HURLEY.

Don’t forget “a black belt is a white belt that never gave up”.

Aloha