Jean Silva vs. Ilia Topuria? Din Thomas feels Brazilian’s striking “looks the part” for UFC title fight

UFC analyst Din Thomas is so impressed by Jean Silva that he thinks the Brazilian could fare well against Ilia Topuria if he can cut down in weight.

Silva went one-on-one with Drew Dober inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado this past Saturday night. The fight will be remembered for Silva’s ability to slice the eyebrow of Dober, causing a deep gash which led to the fight being stopped.

It was an impressive showing for Silva in enemy territory, and Thomas feels Silva can be thrown at the very top of the 145-pound division if he can make the weight cut.

RELATED: PROS REACT AFTER JEAN SILVA TKO’S DREW DOBER AT UFC DENVER

Jean Silva vs. Ilia Topuria? Din Thomas Wouldn’t Mind

Jean Silva fights in the lightweight division, but something about his crisp striking led Din Thomas to think about how fun a matchup would be between him and the UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria. Here’s what Din said on the UFC Denver post-show (h/t MMAMania.com).

“Man, I mean, Jean Silva is something else; he is absolutely nasty,” Thomas said. “I was watching the fight next to Mick Maynard, the matchmaker, and I’m sitting there saying if this guy can make 145, let’s just put him in there with Ilia Topuria now. Yeah. He looks the part. His striking looks the part.”

While that idea isn’t likely to come to fruition in the immediate future, Din knows good striking when he sees it. Thomas has become a renowned MMA coach and he has mixed it up inside the Octagon during his fighting days.

The UFC matchmakers will need to decide the next matchup for Silva now that he’s elevated himself with his 11th straight victory. Silva will likely be looking for a fight that will give him a chance to enter the official UFC lightweight rankings.