Joey Beltran
Earning his first victory inside the Octagon since June 2011, Joey ‘The Mexicutioner’ Beltran (15-8) is already calling out his next opponent naming Brazilian fighter Thiago Silva (14–3, 2NC) as that man in a post fight interview with Fuel TV correspondent Karyn Bryant.
– In my @FUELTV post-fight intv @Mexicutioner760 told me he’d like his next fight to be against @ThiagoSilva_MMA #UFConFX #MMA #UFC
Beltran earned his first win after returning to the UFC this past summer, having dropped to the light heavyweight division after a 3-4 run at heavyweight.
At the UFC on FX 6 show in Gold Coast, Australia ‘The Mexicutioner’ squared off with Igor Pokrajac on the television events preliminary card. The two fighters would go the distance in an entertaining slugfest which would see Beltran earn the unanimous decision in the judges eyes by scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 30-27.
The win was Beltran’s second bout at 205-lbs inside the Octagon having dropped his 205-lbs debut to James Te-Huna via decision at last summer’s UFC on FUEL TV 4 event. The match earned both fighters the “Fight of the Night” bonus.
Silva is 1-3 (2NC) and is currently sitting out a six month suspension after testing positive for marijuana metabolites this past November. He was originally awarded a submission win over Stanislav Nedkov at UFC on FUEL TV 6 but was changed to a “No Contest” following the suspension.
The Brazilian’s suspension is set to end on May 10 and could see both fighters meet later that month or later in the summer.