Joaquim Silva

Overview

Netto BJJ has three submission-minded stats on his page and zero submission wins in the UFC. Joaquim Silva, a Brazilian lightweight out of American Top Team, is 7-5 in the UFC (14-6-0 across all promotions), and his wins come from two places: knockouts and close decisions.

Three of his seven UFC wins ended by KO/TKO. The other four went to the scorecards, and three of those were split decisions. He is a southpaw who fights as a counter-grappler, not as a hunter of takedowns.

A fighter who keeps winning the close ones is still in the mix.

UFC Career

Silva's UFC run is tied to a split-decision win over Nazareno Malegarie at UFC 191 in September 2015. He then beat Andrew Holbrook by TKO in 34 seconds in round 1 at The Ultimate Fighter finale in July 2016, his fastest finish. A third-round split decision over Reza Madadi followed in May 2017.

The first loss came in January 2018, a unanimous decision to Vinc Pichel. He bounced back with a third-round TKO of Jared Gordon that December, but two quick knockout losses followed: Nasrat Haqparast in 36 seconds of round 2 in 2019, and Ricky Glenn in 37 seconds of round 1 in 2021.

Then came his best stretch. A round 2 TKO of Jesse Ronson in September 2022 started a run of three wins in four fights that stretched into 2025. In between, he lost by third-round TKO to Arman Tsarukyan, an opponent our model rates as strong, and beat Clay Guida by unanimous decision in December 2023. A unanimous decision loss to Drakkar Klose, another strong opponent, came in May 2024, and he closed the run with a split decision over Claudio Puelles at Noche UFC in September 2025.

His longest UFC win streak is three, and he carries a one-fight streak into his next outing. Three of his five losses came by KO/TKO, and two of those ended inside 40 seconds. Nothing about that defense is sturdy, and the sample says so.

Fighting Style

The striking numbers sit around the UFC average across the board: output, damage absorbed, accuracy and defense. Nothing stands out there, good or bad. The grappling is where Silva separates himself.

He rarely shoots for takedowns, and he is very hard to take down. He still averages more submission attempts than most UFC fighters, which suggests he attacks from scrambles and from his back rather than from shots of his own. Those attempts haven't produced a finish in the UFC, so the nickname outpaces the results.

Finishes arrive late more often than early: one first-round stoppage, one in round 2, one in round 3. He is more likely to win a decision than a fight inside the opening round, and four of his seven wins prove it.

Notable Wins

• Jared Gordon — KO/TKO, round 3 (2:39), UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Iaquinta (2018)
• Jesse Ronson — KO/TKO, round 2 (3:08), UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan (2022)
• Clay Guida — unanimous decision, 3 rounds, UFC Fight Night: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan (2023)
• Claudio Puelles — split decision, 3 rounds, Noche UFC (2025)

Quick Facts

• Division: Lightweight
• UFC record: 7-5 (3 KO/TKO wins, 4 decision wins)
• Professional record (all promotions): 14-6-0
• UFC debut: 2015
• Stance: Southpaw
• Height / reach: 5'8" / 69"
• Team: American Top Team
• Born: Anápolis, GO, Brazil