The Croatian Crippler and CroatianSports.com learned today that “The Duke” Igor Pokrajac will face dangerous Brazilian fighter Thiago Silva on May 15th in Fairfax, Virginia; the event will be the UFC’s third installment on Fuel TV. Silva is an accomplished UFC veteran with a record of 14 wins and only two losses, both coming to former UFC light heavyweight champions, Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida. Silva is a devastating striker and will really test Igor in the stand up game. Thiago Silva is a huge step up in competition for Pokrajac and with an impressive win, it could propel the Croatian into title contender status overnight.
The Brazilian’s last fight was at UFC 125 when he defeated Brandon Vera via decision. The decision was later overturned as Silva failed the pre-fight drug screening. Igor’s last fight was at UFC 140 when he KO’d Krystof Soszynski in less then 40 seconds and cemented himself as a contender in the UFC light heavyweight division. This is a good match-up for Pokrajac as he can use his improved striking to possibly KO the Brazilian, but he will have to be cautious to avoid being on the receiving end of a Silva attack. This match will answer many questions as to whether Igor is a legit contender or just a journey man in the division.
The Duke will look to improve his record and his status as an elite fighter in the UFC on May 15th in Fairfax, Virginia. An impressive win over Thiago Silva could move Igor up the light heavyweight ladder and closer to a possible future showdown with the champ Jon “Bones” Jones. You can follow Igor Pokrajac on twitter @igorpokrajac. Stay tuned for updates on this match up in the future.
Written by Mike “Croatian Crippler” Rožić
You can follow the Croatian Crippler on Twitter @CroCrippler or on Facebook @Croatian Crippler.
@Crippler
Yeah, I’ve never heard of Fabio Maldonado. I was hoping for a known fighter.
@Robby
Ya I seen that to and was just about to write a small article on it. I feel this is a huge step down name wise even though Fabio is a tough guy. I havent heard from Igor yet so not sure if he accepted if he even has a choice.
It seems a replacement was just announced. http://mmajunkie.com/news/27822/fabio-maldonado-vs-igor-pokrajac-slated-for-ufc-on-fuel-tv-3.mma
@Robby
Ya he got bumped up to an earlier card due to the injury to little Nog. There is no word yet on a match up for Igor but I am awaiting for an email as soon as he get the news from the UFC
It looks like Silva got bumped up to the main card. Whats going to happen to Igor?
@Plasaj
Hes on the same supplements as Bo Jackson to haha
I’m just surprised AC Milan 😛 allows Thiago Silva to fight in the UFC….he must’ve had that added in his contract…guys a modern day Bo Jackson…
Tjhis is a huge test for Igor but i feel its a good matchup.Both of there strengths are in the stand up game but I think Igor has the advantage in wrestling. This will be a big one but next week we need Stipe Miocic to take out the Brit Phil Defries and stay undefeated. Keep an eye out for my upcoming article and videos from my visit to Stipe’s camp in Cleveland
This is the true test ajde Pokrajac jebem mu viru Razbi mu Picku -U-
Yikes. I didn’t expect this.
Thiago is a serious opponent, and Igor is a big underdog.
I just hope he wins so we can stop talking about CroCop when anything Croatian MMA comes up.
@Allen
I think he made main card status with this match up as I’m pretty sure this will either be the main eventor top three bout.
Big time test and I’m really excited. I still haven’t seen him fight in a full fight but I’ll be catching this. Hopefully he can make my favorites list soon because its getting crowded for my favorite fighters. Evans, Condit, Jones, Bader, and Overeem is my top five right now. I’m looking forward to see this, it could put him over to get on the main card.