BARUERI, Brazil — Thiago Silva won his first UFC fight via decision on Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 29 against Matt Hamill in Barueri, Brazil, and he’s not happy with his performance.
Silva, who improved his UFC record to 7-3, with two no-contests, didn’t make weight for the bout and ran out of gas in Barueri, and he didn’t run away from the critics after the fight.
“I failed to make weight and disappointed the UFC,” Silva told the media after the bout. “It was a huge mistake, unprofessional, but I promise it was the first and the last time that it will happen.
“I won the fight, but I had a sh—y performance,” he continued. “I had the opportunity to finish the fight, but couldn’t because I was tired. I gassed. I won’t lie. I’m not a child or a hypocrite. I have to train better to fight in a better shape next time.”
Silva could have finished the fight in the last minutes when Hamill clearly couldn’t fight anymore, but he was too tired to pressure the action.
“I was gassed and that’s why I couldn’t knock him out,” he said. “Everybody knows my style, I don’t stay there waiting. I always go for the finish.”
Despite being disappointed by his performance, Silva would like to fight a better ranked opponent next, having scored consecutive wins over Hamill and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael Cavalcante.
“I want to fight against the best, against a top 10 opponent,” he said. “But I can’t get there with a sh—y performance like I had today. But I would love to fight Glover Teixeira. He’s a tough fighter, an excellent striker with a good ground game, and I believe our styles would make a great fight. I would like to fight Glover, or any other fighter from the top ten. Thiago Silva will be back different next time, I promise.”