Bellator 207’s Erick Silva: Lorenz Larkin ‘is a really good matchup for me’

UFC veteran Erick Silva believes his Bellator debut will be a good stylistic matchup for him. In preparation for a bout against fellow ex-UFC fighter Lorenz Larkin at Bellator 207 next month, the Brazilian told Globo Esporte that the fight will be good for him because he enjoys fighting orthodox opponents.

“We know the company (Bellator) has some big names and Lorenz Larkin is one of them,” he said, “so my Bellator debut can already be an amazing fight. This next fight is a really good match-up for me. In my last five fights, I had to deal with southpaw opponents, at least now I’m fighting an orthodox one. It’s going to match up well with my arsenal and the training we’ve been doing at Team Nogueira.”

After a 15-fight stint in the UFC, in which the 34-year-old compiled a 7-8 Octagon record, Erick’s last fight was at LFA 45 in July, winning by first-round submission. Now, as he prepares for his Bellator debut, Silva claims switching organizations was a great move for his career.

“I’m really happy with this Bellator proposal,” Silva said. “It was an amazing opportunity that came up and I grabbed it immediately. I really needed a breath of fresh air. I had a great time in the UFC, which really made me grow professionally. Wins and losses aside, I could really grow in the UFC. But now I need something new, although the door will always be open for an UFC return, I have a lot of respect for them. However, I’m in a new home now and I’m really motivated to arrive here and fight among the best.”

Bellator 207 takes place in Uncasville, Connecticut on October 12th. The card will be headlined by a Bellator heavyweight tournament semifinal showdown between Ryan Bader and Matt Mitrione. Silva vs. Larkin will be a welterweight tournament alternate matchup.