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Joshua Silveira is one of the rising stars in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), a unique MMA organization that features a regular season, playoffs, and championship format. The winner of each weight class gets a $1 million prize and a PFL belt.
Silveira, who is a light heavyweight, has already secured his spot in the semi-finals of the 2023 season, after winning both of his regular season bouts by stoppage. He will face Ty Flores on August 4 in San Antonio, Texas, in a fight that could bring him one step closer to his ultimate goal.
But Silveira is not fighting for himself. He is fighting for his parents, who immigrated from Brazil and worked hard to give him a better life in America. Silveira told that he would use the $1 million prize to help his parents retire and enjoy their lives.
He said: “I’d help my parents first and foremost, help my mom, help my dad, give them a nice chunk of money. They work very hard, they came from Brazil so there’s no price, no gift, no action I could give to thank them for getting me to this country and giving me this opportunity.
Being raised in America with Brazilian parents, they really came from nothing and I’m not trying to get a petty story here. Without that piece of my life, I wouldn’t be the man that I am today. So I think a little bit of the $1 million would be a little bit of payment that I’d love to give them back.”
Silveira’s mom Grace is a private caterer and employee at a deli while dad Conan is a jujitsu specialist and one of his MMA coaches. Silveira said that he could easily convince his mom to retire, but his dad would be more stubborn.
He said: “My mom would be easy because she works at a deli and she does catering on the side so she’s always working. My dad would be hard because he loves what he does. He’s one of my coaches so he’s always at the gym. He loves jujitsu so he’s always teaching jujitsu.
He’s always helping people so I think it would be hard for him to retire but I think if I gave him enough money he would take some time off and maybe travel with my mom or something like that.”
Silveira is following in his dad’s footsteps as an MMA fighter, but he has also carved his own path in the sport. He is a former LFA light heavyweight and middleweight champion, and has nine of his 11 wins by stoppage.
He is also a two-time PFL semi-finalist, having reached the same stage last year before losing to his teammate Omari Akhmedov by decision. Silveira said that he learned a lot from that loss and has improved as a fighter and as a person.
He said: “Whether it was a fight or just life in general, life’s about making changes, life’s about growing as a person and I can say 150 per cent I am a completely different animal, a completely different human being.
I’m a completely different person because of that loss and I think that loss honestly was a blessing in disguise.”
Silveira is confident that he can beat Flores and advance to the final, where he could face either Akhmedov or Cezar Ferreira for the title and the $1 million prize. He said that he is willing to fight anyone in his way, even if they are his friends or teammates.