After nearly a decade’s worth of experience competing in mixed martial arts, Alex “Little Rock” Silva has earned a reputation as one of the finest submission specialists to ever grace the ONE Championship Circle.

On Friday, 31 January, he puts his superb skills to the test against ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio at ONE: FIRE & FURY in Manila, Philippines.

Ahead of this monumental match-up between Silva and Pacio at the Mall Of Asia Arena, we look at four moments “Little Rock” went full wizard on the ground.

Silva Finishes Foe In One Round

Despite going up against previously-unbeaten Japanese wrestler Hayato Suzuki at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in November 2017, “Little Rock” rolled into the Mall Of Asia Arena full of confidence.

After a brief grappling exchange that saw both men jostle for position, Silva emerged with the upper hand.

The Brazilian maestro got the leverage, locked up his Japanese rival’s arm, straightened it out, and forced the tap at the 1:22 mark of round one.

The Kneebar Kibosh

Just two and a half years removed from defeating Rene Catalan, Silva stepped into the Circle to face Rene’s brother, Ruel Catalan, at ONE: SPIRIT OF CHAMPIONS in December 2015.

Silva continued to find success on the ground against the Catalan family.

“Little Rock” was the early aggressor as he searched for a takedown in the opening minute. Even as he was tied up against the fence, Silva persisted and eventually dragged his Filipino opponent to the canvas.

While scrambling, Silva secured Catalan’s leg and proceeded to lock on a kneebar. After some applied pressure, the Brazilian got the tap with just over a minute left in the first round.

Silva Tames “The Lion” With An Armbar

Nearly a year and a half after he lost the ONE Strawweight World Title, “Little Rock” took his first step back toward the belt when he defeated dangerous Indonesian star Stefer “The Lion” Rahardian at ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD in August 2019.

Rahardian, a BJJ brown belt, tried to surprise Silva with a guillotine choke, but “Little Rock” picked up on his attempts.

The Brazilian countered and used his own grappling skills to turn the tables on his Indonesian rival.

Silva brought Rahardian down and tried to secure a rear-naked choke, but his foe refused to tap. Seeing this, “Little Rock” deftly transitioned into an armbar and finally submitted his opponent with seconds to spare in round two.

“Little Rock” Rolls To An Armbar Finish

Last November in Singapore at ONE: EDGE OF GREATNESS, Silva battled back to take the win over Chinese wrestler Peng Xue Wen in an exciting clash of ground styles.

Initially, the two were evenly matched. Silva’s takedown and grappling threats were nullified by Peng’s wrestling acumen and control.

Even after taking a straight right hand from his Chinese rival, Silva survived, and in round two, he began to seize control.

The Brazilian scored a quick double-leg takedown on a feint. He got into the mount, secured Peng’s arm, and rolled over into a tight armbar to force the Zhongshan native to tap.

Silva’s submission skills will be on full display come Friday, January 31 at ONE: FIRE & FURY in Manila, Philippines when he challenges Joshua “The Passion” Pacio for the latter’s ONE Strawweight World Title.

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