Addison Sports Management and Media: Mick Hammond: Jay Silva Sees Kendall Grove as the Next Step

(photo courtesy of Tapology)

After starting off his career in strong fashion, winning five of six fights, former UFC middleweight Jay Silva has struggled to find his footing recently.
Losses in four of his last six bouts have him in need of turning things around. But as he points out, he’s continuing to learn lessons every time out, like he did in his last fight against Bristol Marunde in November, and has gotten better due to it.
“I took it on short notice, and I was tired,” admitted, Silva. “But for someone who (had little time to prepare) for that fight, I did pretty good.
“Some people thought I won the fight, and personally, I thought I won the fight too. He didn’t do anything, and I went five rounds with the guy, so I’m kind of happy with my performance. I wish I could have finished him, but it’s a lesson learned. I can’t take fights on short notice anymore; I need to train, and that’s pretty much it.”
Having joined a more diverse camp last year, Silva feels he’s making strides in training to match what he’s learning in the cage.
“I feel well-rounded now; a more conventional fighter with less (emphasis on) striking,” he said. “Working with Mark Munoz, Krzysztof Soszynski, and everybody down at Reign, I’m feeling pretty confident everywhere.
“I feel like I’ve improved myself a lot. I just wish I could be a better wrestler, but other than that, I feel pretty good right now.”
As he continues to work on his ground game, Silva is happy that his next bout, against Kendall Grove at SCC 4 on Thursday night at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, will be more akin to the fighting style he’s known for.
“When the SCC called me and told me that I was going to be on the fight card, the first thing I told them was to please not give me another wrestler or jiu-jitsu guy who is just going to take me to the ground and try to control me,” said Silva.
“When they told me it would be Kendall Grove, I was pretty happy about it. I’m hoping for this fight that we can stand up and bang the whole time. Wherever the fight goes I’ll be ready, and I’m sure he will be to, but I hope he stands up and tries to fight me.”
Silva told MMAWeekly.com that he feels this year will be one of building, so he can set himself up for big things in the future.
“I want to make sure by the end of 2012 I’ve got a good winning streak and by the next year I’m in the UFC,” he said.
“My record’s bad, but I feel like I’ve fought a who’s who of pretty tough guys. I’m not taking easy fights, and that’s what I like. I don’t want to fight anybody that doesn’t have a name. I want to keep fighting guys who will get my name out there like Kendall. I want to build back my record, fight smart, listen to my coaches and training partners, and get back on top.”