Vancouver featherweight Da Silva looks to impress UFC boss in Vegas showcase

When Battlefield Fight League (BFL) featherweight champion Radley (Snake Eyes) Da Silva knocked American Drake Randall out cold with a spectacular spinning heel kick last September, the crowd at the Vancouver Convention Centre chanted "UFC, UFC."

On Tuesday, the 30-year-old from Vancouver goes after a UFC contract when he faces unbeaten Australian George Mangos in Las Vegas in the opening episode of Season 9 of "Dana White's Contender Series."

The show gives up-and-coming fighters a chance to win their way into the UFC if they can impress the UFC president. Americans Jamahal (Sweet Dreams) Hill and (Suga) Sean O’Malley won UFC titles after earning their contract via the show.

Canadians (Proper) Mike Malott, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Chad (The Monster) Anheliger, Yohan (White Lion) Lainesse and T.J. (The Truth) Laramie all won UFC contracts on the show. So did Serhiy Sidey, who was born in Ukraine but came to Canada when he was six.

Da Silva (7-1-0) looks to join them — and, in a perfect world, make his promotional debut on the UFC card in Vancouver in October.

Mangos stands in his way.

The 21-year-old HEX Series featherweight title-holder has won all seven of his pro fights. Former UFC middleweight champion Israel (The Last Stylebender) Adesanya and UFC light-heavyweight Jimmy (The Brute) Crute both won titles in the same Australian promotion earlier in their career.

Da Silva (7-1-0) has won titles in both the Rise Fighting Championship and BFL promotions. Tuesday's UFC audition doesn't faze him.

"To me it's just like as if you went to school for something, for like 25 years … It's stuff I've been doing since I was very young," said Da Silva, whose coaches at Pinnacle Combat Martial Arts Academy include former UFC and Pride veteran Denis Kang. "So to me, it's just another day."

Da Silva, who was born in Brazil but moved to Canada when he was five, comes from a fighting family.

He and his father Andre both fought on the BFL 25 card in September 2013 in Richmond, B.C., each winning by decision.

Andre and other members of the Da Silva family are expert teachers in and practitioners of capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music. Godparents in Canada ran Axe Capoeira, an international chain of capoeira schools headquartered in Vancouver. 

Capoeira originally was created by African slaves in Brazil, who developed it as a martial art that could look like a dance so as not to catch the eye of their slave masters, Da Silva explains.

"So it didn't look like they were practising any deadly arts. And then they could use it later on to help themselves fight (their way) out of slavery," he added. "With that, it comes with a lot of movement and unorthodox moves. You get from it a lot of co-ordination, a lot of balance, flexibility and athleticism. That's the kind of stuff that can translate into any sport."

Da Silva started capoeira at five years old, jiu-jitsu at nine, wrestling at 14, and had his first amateur MMA fight at 16. His resume includes a capoeira world championship.

The capoeira roots are easy to see in the cage, with plenty of spinning strikes like the one that felled Randall. Da Silva has defended his BFL title since then, submitting American Drew (The Eternal Flame) Brokenshire in January in Vancouver.

His fighting career has come in stops and starts.

Da Silva has won seven straight since losing his pro debut to Ben Jansen in July 2013. After evening his record at 1-1-0 in September that year, he only fought once — in November 2019, when he defeated John Nguyen to win the Rise FC title.-- before returning to regular action in October 2023 in the BFL promotion.

Da Salva explains the gaps in his fighting resume by saying there were times when bouts were hard to come by, "no matter how much I tried."

"It kind of just allowed me to develop as a human in other aspects of life."

Married with a daughter who turns two three days after his Contender Series fight, Da Silva also works in the film industry as a stuntman. He was working a nine-to-five job when his cousin, who was a stuntman, convinced him to make the move to film.

His credits include the movies "V For Vengeance" and "Confidential Informant," as well as TV's "Resident Alien" and "Nancy Drew," and the miniseries "Midnight Mass."

He has also worked in video games, including the UFC title. 

Create a fighter in career mode In the "UFC 5" game and your character is based on his movements. Da Silva also provides Voice No. 1 in the game.

The video game's career mode allows you to fight your way up from regional promotions to the "Contender Series" to the UFC, a journey Da Silva is now well on his way to matching in real life.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2025