Gabriel Silva was just a 10-year-old kid when his older brother Erick Silva kicked off his career in mixed martial arts with two wins in one night in Espirito Santo, Brazil, in 2005. A few months after Erick impressed the world with a 40-second win in his UFC debut in 2011, “Gabito” decided it was time to join him in MMA.
Erick is no longer on the UFC roster after competing 15 times over six years in the Octagon, but the family blood is back in the cage through Gabriel, who makes the walk for the first time at Saturday night’s UFC on ESPN 4 in a bantamweight clash with Ray Borg.