“There’s a big risk he’ll pull out of the fight and they’ll put me in his place,” Silva (17-3) said on YouTube. “In my heart, I still believe I’ll fight for the belt instead of fighting Rodriguez. My focus today is on Rodriguez, obviously, but I have a slight feeling in my heart that Evloev will withdraw from the fight.”
Evloev is ranked No. 1 in both the Meta and Media rankings and will likely face Volkanovski at some point later this year. A victory for Silva at Noche UFC 4 will all but guarantee the 29-year-old “Lord” faces the winner, unless his prediction comes true and the unbeaten Russian somehow squanders his championship opportunity.