Pitbull Calls Out Silva After UFC 331 Win

Patricio Pitbull stopped Doo Ho Choi in the first round at UFC 331 and immediately targeted Jean Silva for his next fight.

Pitbull entered as the underdog against Choi on the main card but needed just one round to secure the TKO finish. The former Bellator champion told reporters afterward that Silva's reputation made him the obvious callout, per BJ Penn. "I like challenges, and that was my time to challenge someone," Pitbull said at the post-fight press conference. "(Silva) is a barking dog — he's all bark, but no bite. I am 'Pitbull.' Let's see who is the top dog."

The Brazilian arrived in the promotion with considerable hype but struggled through a 1-2 start that included losses to Yair Rodriguez and Aaron Pico alongside a win over Dan Ige. Pitbull told media he considers UFC 331 his real debut because something shifted mentally. "I feel like that was my debut," he said. "Something happened to my mind. I was like in a panic (my first three UFC fights), but now I feel I'm comfortable here."

At 39 years old and now 2-2 in the UFC, Pitbull views the Silva matchup as a logical step toward title contention. The winner could be one fight away from challenging for the featherweight belt. Silva has not publicly responded to the callout.

Pitbull holds a 38-9 professional record and captured Bellator titles at both featherweight and lightweight before making the move to the UFC.