This Sunday Neil Magny will be stepping into the octagon for the second time in three weeks. Prior to this three-week stretch Magny was on a roll, winning his last seven fights in a row. Damian Maia ended this winning streak in brutal fashion, dominating Magny with superior grappling before submitting him in the second round. It seems as if the Magny hype train has been erased.
The UFC is all about your last fight and Magny’s performance against Maia was cringe worthy. This is why I love that he took a short notice fight only three weeks later! Magny wants to get right back in there and prove that he is better than what he showed against Maia. The only problem is that Erick Silva is no easy task.
Silva has been hyped as an up and comer for a while now and has never showed that he belongs with the elite fighters in the division. He has alternated wins and losses throughout his UFC Career, seeming to falter against stiffer competition. He has two wins in a row coming into this fight defeating Mike Rhodes and Josh Koscheck. Neither one is a world beater, but he did stop them both in the first round.
At 31 years old this is Silva’s chance to make himself a contender. A win over Magny will make it 3 in a row and he will be closer to a title shot than he has ever been before. He knows what’s at stake in this fight.
By taking a fight on short notice, Neil Magny is betting on himself. He knows that Erick Silva is a hungry fighter and that is why he took it. A win over Erick Silva will erase the embarrassment of his last performance.
If Magny gets the win on Sunday the promotion for his next fight will include “Neil Magny winner of eight of his last nine fights.” However, if he loses it will be to the back of the line for a talented fighter in a very competitive division. We will see if the gamble pays off Sunday night on Fox Sports 1.
Main Photo:
