5 Things You Might Not Know About Douglas Silva de Andrade

Douglas Silva de Andrade has begun to make strides toward moving out of the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division’s middle tier.

The 37-year-old Brazilian will confront a significant obstacle when he meets Said Nurmagomedov in a featured UFC on ESPN 39 attraction this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Silva de Andrade climbs into the cage on the heels of back-to-back victories. He last competed at UFC 271, where he put Sergey Morozov to sleep with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their Feb. 12 clash. The win pushed him to 28-4 overall and 6-4 in the UFC.

As Silva de Andrade pores over the remaining details associated with his forthcoming battle against Nurmagomedov, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. Sustained success propelled him upward.

Silva de Andrade was undefeated—22-0 with one no contest—through the first 23 career appearances. He debuted as a 22-year-old on May 11, 2007, when he forced a second-round stoppage against Deivison Francisco Ribeiro at an Open Fight de Vale Tudo event in Castanhal, Brazil. Silva de Andrade remained unbeaten for 2,471 days.

2. His labor bore early fruit.

The Corinthians MMA product struck gold in the Super Pitbull Fight organization, where he laid claim to its featherweight championship with a five-round unanimous decision over Maykson Souza Lima in 2009. Silva de Andrade went 13-0 with one no contest in 14 assignments with the Brazilian company.

3. His handlers have kept him close to home.

Silva de Andrade has spent the majority of his career in his native Brazil, where 27 of his 33 pro bouts have taken place. He has also fought in Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

4. Versatility provides him some flexibility.

“D Silva” has recorded Ultimate Fighting Championship victories in two different weight classes, going 1-2 as a featherweight and 5-2 as a featherweight. Silva de Andrade’s Octagon wins over Morozov, Gaetano Pirrello, Renan Barao, Marlon Vera, Enrique Briones and Cody Gibson have been offset by losses to Lerone Murphy, Petr Yan, Rob Font and Zubaira Tukhugov.

5. He carries quick-strike capabilities.

The Silva de Andrade resume features 11 first-round finishes, three of the sub-minute variety. He prompted a doctor stoppage against Joao Ferreira Jr. just 27 seconds into their pairing under the Super Pitbull Fight banner on April 9, 2010, buried >Marcelo Rodrigues with knee strikes in 16 seconds at a Carmen Casca-Grossa Fight show on July 3, 2010 and needed a mere 25 seconds to punch out Tiago Passos at Jungle Fight 63 on Dec. 21, 2013.