Riding an undefeated UFC record of 6 straight victories, Jean Silva is set to collide with Diego Lopes at UFC Fight Night 259: Noche UFC 3, taking place at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, September 13, 2025. Originally slated for Guadalajara, Mexico, as a numbered pay-per-view, the event was shifted due to construction delays at Arena Guadalajara and ultimately rebranded as a Fight Night card.

Despite that, the buzz around Jean Silva vs. Diego Lopes remains sky-high. For Silva, a win could catapult the 28-year-old into the featherweight division’s top five and cement his reputation as a true title contender—expectations that many fans already share. But Silva’s journey this far has been anything but simple, shaped by a childhood marked with bullying and a dark past.

Jean Silva shares his bullying story

After Silva defeated Bryce Mitchell earlier this year at UFC 314, he opened up his barking ritual, which has a painful backstory. The Brazilian featherweight claimed that it was a gift from his late brother. “The barking comes from my brother. He gave me a dog when I was little… and since then, I started to show my emotions by barking,” he said.

It might have started as a wholesome gesture from his brother, but it quickly turned into the source of his suffering. “I suffered a lot because of it, because it was like a nervous tic, doing that,” Silva recalled, admitting he was often bullied throughout his childhood. However, even more painful was the tragic story involving his mother and brother.

Jean Silva’s sad story featuring his mother & brother

Jean ‘Lord’ Silva’s journey to UFC stardom has been marked by heartbreak and resilience. The Brazilian has carried trauma from his childhood. “I saw my mom get arrested, I saw my mom r— by three men, three guys abused my mom, I saw my mom kill those three guys, and I saw my mom get arrested, I saw my mom abandon her career, which was boxing to raise us,” Silva recalled. To honor her sacrifices, he carries a symbolic tattoo.

“The lock has a diamond with mother’s name right under it, so no one can touch these emotions… It’s an old lock, from a Nordic era, before Christ, so maybe it’s a lock that only real emotions can open.” This wasn’t the end of Silva’s dark past, though. Tragedy struck again when his brother was shot dead. “He squeezed my hand really hard… that’s when this ‘entity,’ this ‘spirit’ was born in me. ‘Lord’ came into my life when my brother died. He protects me, but he can be chaos, too.”

It’s no secret that Jean Silva’s tough childhood has shaped him into the fighter and man he is today. That resilience has carried him this far, but the question remains—will it be enough to overcome Diego Lopes on fight night?