Joshua Silveira Meets the Man in the Mirror

Months after losing in the 2023 Professional Fighters League light heavyweight final, Joshua Silveira continued to search for answers. After three straight first-round finishes, he only had to win one more fight to claim the $1 million season-ending prize. However, he fell short. What went wrong? What did he need to change? After months of reflection, Silveira finally found his answer.

“I had to be accountable,” he told Sherdog.com. “I’m not going to change gyms and change coaches and get mad at everybody. I don’t think that’s being accountable. I had to look myself in the mirror and ask myself, ‘What can you do more?’ That’s the biggest thing of growing character. As humans, we think we’ve figured it out. Life is so zen and amazing when everything’s going well, but when something goes bad, you realize that you don’t know s---.”

Although Silveria’s title run ended disappointingly in November, the American Top Team product has kept a positive outlook on the experience. Impa Kasanganay may have had his number that night, but Silveira refuses to define his season or career by one loss. The dawn of 2024 brough new opportunities, most notably another shot at the PFL playoffs.

Silveira could punch his ticket to the postseason with a win at PFL 5, where he meets 2022 champion Rob Wilkinson on Friday at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. Wilkinson has not lost a fight in over six years and is coming off a brutal first-round technical knockout against Tom Breese. Silveira knows he will have to be at his best in order to spring the upset.

“I think this is just one of those fights where we’re going to have to do a little bit of everything,” he said. “We’re going to have to push him. I don’t think he’s been pushed because he’s been so dominant he hasn’t had to use his tools. He’s always finishing people, so I have to get in there with a great mind and confidence but still understand that this guy is no chump.”

Wilkinson’s resume looms large, but Silveira’s journey has prepared him for marquee moments. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion captured the promotion’s light heavyweight crown, then became the second fighter in its history to strike gold in another weight class when he dropped to 185 pounds and beat Jared Revel for the middleweight belt. Two months later, Silveira earned his spot in the Professional Fighters League after submitting Mohamed Juma in a PFL Challenger Series bout.

Since signing with the PFL, Silveira has elevated his game through his work at American Top Team. There, he trains under a number of world-class coaches, including his father, Marcus “Conan” Silveira. He credits his father’s wisdom and cageside demeanor for allowing him to remain levelheaded under duress.

“Sometimes I pinch myself because I think, ‘Wow my life can’t be real,’” Silveira said. “It’s like a Hollywood movie, but yeah, that’s my life. I love having my dad in my corner, let alone be the head coach of the team. Growing up around American Top Team, I always pictured that I would grow up to be like those guys, but then I manifested it into my actual life.”

With years of training champions under his belt, “Conan” has developed his son into a high-caliber mixed martial artist. Silveira can wrestle, grapple and finish opponents with strikes. However, he did not get the chance to show off his tools in his most recent outing. Matched against former PFL welterweight champion Sadibou Sy, Silveira quickly used his superior strength to take down the Swede. While attempting to fight the takedown, Sy dislocated his thumb, resulting in an anticlimactic stoppage. Silveira was declared the winner by first-round TKO and awarded six points in the PFL standings, but the fight was so short that his performance went unnoticed.

“The warrior in me was like, ‘Man, I wish I would’ve gotten to do more,’” Silveria said, “but the technical athlete that’s competing in the PFL season was like, ‘Well, it’s still six points.’ I didn’t kick him in the balls or poke his eyes or do anything illegal. It sucks it happened that way, but I walked out with no damage and six points. I’m happy about that.”

Silveira heads into his showdown with Wilkinson in peak shape after a quick turnaround. His first-round win over Sy allowed him to quickly dive back into the gym and turn his attention to the next fight. Silveira’s accountability has prepared him for what could be one of the toughest fights of his career.

“I understand what he offers, but I still have to go out there and shock the world,” he said. “I would say I’m somewhat experienced. I’m not a beginner fighter anymore. I’m going to have to deal with fights where I shock the world, and that’s what’s going to happen.”