Jean Silva is back in the winning column, and he has done it in style. The 29-year-old Brazilian earned a unanimous decision win over Arnold Allen to open the UFC 324 main card, using pressure and power to edge a competitive three-round fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. And the win is special for him.

Silva suffered a brutal second-round knockout loss to Diego Lopes in September last year after running into a spinning elbow. However, the Fighting Nerds standout has since made a compelling case for reviving his title ambitions. More notably, the Brazilian once again caught fans’ attention with his post-fight interview.

As he has on several occasions, Silva joined UFC color commentator Joe Rogan inside the Octagon. A teary-eyed Silva addressed Arnold Allen, whom he claims to respect immensely, and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to face him. He then capped off the moment with his trademark barking as “Who Let the Dogs Out” blared through the arena speakers.

Clips of the celebration quickly went viral across social media, with former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo joining fans in praising Silva’s performance.

Jean Silva’s in-Octagon emotions questioned after UFC 324 win 

One user wasn’t buying Silva’s emotional message to Allen. The user wrote, “Jean Silva said he was crying because he was honored to fight an idol of his. Arnold Allen is 32 and two years older.” Allen may only be three years older than Silva, but he’s been in the UFC for over a decade. His 11-3 run under Dana White started in June 2015, with a gullotine submission win against Alan Omer. 

A second user was amused by the music that played after Silva’s interview and commented, “‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ as Jean Silva is finishing his post-fight interview is PERFECT.” Jean Silva barks because it started as a nervous tic when he was a kid — he would make that barking sound involuntarily, especially when he was anxious or stressed.

Someone else claimed, “Jean Silva and Joe Rogan looks twin brothers 🤣 same height, same face shape.” The similarities in their appearance stop at their bald heads, but fans will make a joke out of anything.

Henry Cejudo praised the matchmaking for the fight. He commented, “Allen vs Silva was elite matchmaking #UFC324.” The UFC’s matchmaking team, led by Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby, hit the mark with this one. It was an evenly matched contest between two top-ranked featherweights.

Another user had similar feelings about the fight. The user wrote, “Jean Silva vs Arnold Allen was everything you would expect it to be. Mixed Martial Arts at the highest level #UFC324.” Both fighters were in UFC’s top ten featherweight rankings. Now, Silva may expect a move up, though.

It appears Jean Silva has revived his title run and could soon find himself calling for a title shot. Do you think he has what it takes this time around?