Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Antonio Silva, despite an 11-fight losing streak, is set to fight retired UFC veteran Juan Espino on March 23 in an event called “The Farewell” in the Canary Islands, Spain.
Well, Antonio Silva’s still at it, folks. Despite an 11-fight losing streak, the one-time UFC heavyweight title contender isn’t throwing in the towel just yet.
He’s got a new fight on the horizon. Announced on Tuesday, he’s set to square off with fellow UFC vet Juan Espino. The date? March 23. The event? A little something they’re calling “The Farewell.”
Where’s it all going down? Gran Canaria Arena in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. As for the bout’s rule set and other details, they’re keeping us in suspense.
Silva’s pretty stoked about the match. He took to Instagram, saying, “I am very happy to fight against [someone I look up to] in my career, someone who motivates me to be a better fighter and I admire, a fight full of respect where victory or defeat is not sought, but to thank all the fans who have supported us with a great show.”
Espino, on the other hand, is coming out of retirement for this one. The Ultimate Fighter Season 28 winner called it quits last June. Injuries, he said, forced him to step back from the MMA scene. His last fight was in 2021, where he lost a technical decision to Alexandr Romanov at UFC Vegas 24.
Espino shared his thoughts on Instagram, saying, “Deep in my heart I was left with a prickly thorn. It has nothing to do with winning or losing… . I couldn’t allow injuries to keep me from saying goodbye the way I like best.”
Silva’s record hasn’t been great lately. He’s been knocked out in nine of his last 11 fights. After his most recent loss to Salim El Ouassaidi last June, he claimed he’d won the fight and announced his return.
Post-loss, Silva reflected, “everything has a beginning and an end, and I’m very happy and satisfied. We never want to stop, no professional athlete wants to stop, even in volleyball or football, but everything has a time, and I did this for 19 years.”
It’s been a while since Silva tasted victory. His last win was back in 2015 against Soa Palelei at UFC 190.
Shoutout to Guilherme Cruz from MMA Fighting for contributing to the original report.