Eric Silva – (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
One might expect Brazilian welterweight Erik Silva (13-2, 1NC) to hold some sort of grudge against referee Mario Yamasaki after he disqualified Silva for what he thought was strikes to the back of the head of opponent Carlo Prater at UFC 142.
The instant replay showed that the strikes were legal but the ruling was already made and Silva suffered his first loss in over five years. Silva had Prater down in the opening seconds of the match, and if Yamasaki hadn’t of jumped in, it’s likely that Silva would have had his second straight win in the Octagon.
Silva is currently scheduled to face Charlie Brenneman on June 8, 2012 in Sunrise, Florida as part of the UFC on FX 3 event.
Speaking to Tatame.com, Silva said he’d welcome Yamasaki as his referee for the bout, holding no ill feelings towards him.
How would you feel in case Mario Yamasaki was called to be the referee on your next fight?
I’d really like it if they call him up, even because I believe he didn’t mean to hurt me. After that he’s been more alert, smart and he’s been doing everything he can so it doesn’t happen again. If he’s the referee he’s going to pay much more attention so he doesn’t make a mistake again. As an athlete, it’s not my job to have any kind of feeling towards a referee like Mario Yamasaki.