never would have gotten this far if clearing hurdles had been an issue for him. He has made a career out of proving others wrong.
“The culture where I grew up doesn’t appreciate fighters,” da Silva told Sherdog.com. “A lot of friends tried to dissuade me from fighting. My family never encouraged it. Financially, the only support I had was from my trainers. I helped maintain and clean my academies to be able to graduate. That’s how I made things happen.”
Those early struggles afford da Silva a sense of appreciation for his achievements and the position in which he now finds himself.