Shawn Da Silva is coming off a big win in his Cage Warriors debut. It was a battle between two rising prospects in himself and Kiru Singh Sahota. Silva came out victorious with a second-round TKO and he was having a good time out there.
“That positive energy is everything, I like to smile and I like to have a good time. During fight week there will come a lot of negative things. The most important thing is to not let it demotivate you. Doesn’t matter what. And everything is possible in you life when you believe [Yoel Romero voice].”
I had the pleasure of talking to Da Silva to learn a little bit more of the flyweight prospect hailing from Balingen, Germany.
“I was born in Balingen, Germany. When I was eight years old we moved to Algarve, Portugal. My father is a musician and we lived there for four years. One of the best years of my life. Then we moved back to Germany where I live now in the south part, near Stuttgart. With my 4 younger siblings, my mother, and my dog.”
Prior to MMA Da Silva played soccer at a decently high level. When he was 21 he quit playing due to a lack of motivation for the sport. It later led him to become involved in MMA, the sport he is currently excelling in.
“My little brother stopped playing soccer so I decided to send him to an MMA gym. I would drop him off and pick him up and I would smell the beautiful air in the gym. So I also decided to try it out. After the first session, I got smashed so hard my ego didn’t allow me to quit so I continued with the time training and I fell in love with the sport very quickly.”
I asked Da Silva about his experience the first day he walked into an MMA gym.
“It was very humbling, the first training was a Bjj session. I always thought that I was strong and athletic so I can handle a little wrestling with those guys. After you get submitted fifteen times in three minutes by a little boy you start to think and realize it’s all about technique. I will never forget that day.”
To this day Da Silva trains in Balingen, Germany at Planet Eater. Planet Eater is one of the top gyms based out of Germany and they have a strong group of fighters.
“My head coach is Peter Sobotta, a former UFC fighter and legend here in Germany. He is also my manager and helps me create game plans for my fights. I also have a good friend/coach Dima Götte who helps me in different areas. Holding pads, finding the flow and focus, and a lots of psychological things. My number one pad holder is Carlos Geiser. We have a very good friendship and we flow a lot in the pads. Last year a very good fighter came from Ukraine. His name is Denys Bondar. He is a UFC fighter and a perfect sparring partner for me.”
Outside of MMA, Da Silva also has a career as Personal Trainer. It’s something he’s been doing for two years and it’s become very rewarding for him.
“It was always a big passion for me, to teach and to help people. Also in the days of my soccer time, I taught and coached younger kids I started to help my coach with the boxing classes for beginners. I loved it so I tried to help people with the knowledge I gained from training and fighting. Now I am a personal trainer since two years ago and I want to help people get more confident, healthier, and stronger. It also gives me a lot of positive energy to see how my clients develop in a very short time. You can’t compare that with money.”
Da Silva made his pro debut in 2019 and prior to that, he had a non-documented amateur career. I spoke with Da Silva about his amateur career and what he learned from the only loss he suffered.
“After six months of mostly striking training, I was so excited to fight and also confident to gain experience to step in the ring. My objective was to do a kickboxing or a boxing fight but it was a little difficult to find a fight without an actual boxing pass here in Germany. So I fought in an MMA tournament. I didn’t have any clue about a ground game. I just knew how to brawl and duck under a hook. I lost the first fight of the tournament by a very close decision but my opponent was not able to fight in the final so I got the shot in the final against a very good and experienced grappler. I hit him with some good punches but he was able to take me down without any problem. In the second round, he finished me with a beautiful Armbar from mount. After this experience, I knew I want to do this professionally.
I also started to train with a totally different mindset. It was the beginning of my journey”
Now Shawn Marcos Claudina Da Silva is undefeated as a pro at 4-0. He’s coming off that big win in Cage Warriors so he’s riding a lot of momentum into his future. Da Silva shared some of his goals going forward.
“I want to have at least two good fights with spectacular performances this year. My long-term goal is to do the things I love. To have the independence. Also, to inspire and motivate people. I want to be one of the most entertaining fighters who ever stepped in the octagon.”
Bonus Questions
Q. Where did you get those slick dancing moves?
A. My dancing moves only come when I am in a fighting mood. I learned it in my sparring sessions to confuse my opponents. It helps me to get loose and feel free. Maybe some day I will learn to dance actually.
Q. Do you have anyone in MMA or combat sports in general that inspired you?
A. One of the goats in MMA in my opinion is Demetrious Johnson. His skill set is unbelievable in every area. This guy is a fucking machine. I like his humble style and sportsmanship.
Q. How do you like to celebrate off a win?
A. After all my fights I am very tired. I like to spend time with my amigos chill out, eat something good, and just hang out.
Q. For anyone that’s never watched you fight what would you tell them to expect?
A. Always here for a big show! You always can expect the unexpected when I step into the cage.
Q. Last question. Why do you fight and who do you fight for?
A. fight because I love the feeling. It’s something very special and you learn so many things about yourself.
