Jean Silva believe’s he’s 'next one in line' for UFC title shot

Jean Silva believes he is next in line for a UFC featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski, positioning himself ahead of undefeated contender Movsar Evloev in the queue for a championship opportunity.

The Brazilian fighter, who holds a 17–3 UFC record, made his case during an interview with MMAjunkie, stating that despite Evloev's perfect 20–0 record across 10 UFC bouts, the Russian has stalled in his progression toward a title shot. "I don't think he has ever got left behind," Silva said. "I just think he has been stuck, he just hasn't progressed. This is a business, you need to sell your fights, you need to perform. You need to be there, you need to be active."

Silva highlighted a key difference between himself and Evloev: finishing power. While Silva has finished five of his six UFC wins, Evloev has yet to finish any opponent in the Octagon. Silva's most recent victory came via decision over Arnold Allen in January, a rebound after losing to Diego Lopes. Though Volkanovski has publicly acknowledged Evloev as the most deserving contender, Silva expressed confidence that the Russian may not get the next title shot. "I think the chances of Evloev fighting Volkanovski by the end of the year are slim," Silva said, adding that he is willing to take one more fight before his title opportunity if necessary. Silva credited his management team and UFC president Dana White for supporting his path to gold, vowing to bring the belt back to Brazil.