Joaquim Silva feels he’s getting the opportunity of a lifetime at UFC on ESPN 46

This Saturday, the Brazilian returns to the octagon to take on Arman Tsarukyan in a co-main event clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+. It’s a key matchup for Silva (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), as he takes on a top-10 opponent of the official UFC lightweight rankings.

“This is my moment,” Silva told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 46 media day. “I’ve been in the UFC for a long time, and I’ve been working for this moment. But yeah, I’ve been training a lot for my whole life. This fight for me is my life, my style. I stayed in the UFC seven years, this is my moment. I’ve worked for this, and I’m very excited, very happy.”

Although not direct training partners, Silva and Tsarukyan (19-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) train under the same team – American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. Silva hasn’t felt weird about the two training under the same roof, he said, and in fact, it’s motivated him.

“I don’t have a (bad) feeling a bout this guy,” Silva said. “I think he’s a good guy. I look at him two times during my day, and it’s really good because it helped me. I looked at him training, and I would train more.

“I trained separate with my coaches and training partner, but we don’t have a problem. After this fight, I will hug Arman to thank him for the opportunity. This is No. 8 or 9, I don’t remember exactly, but this is good for me. It’s a big opportunity.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 46.