Back on the mats after recovering from a freak injury, GFTeam's Victor Silverio is ready for his next challenge. 

Silverio is set to compete in a 170-pound superfight at the second edition of the Grappling Pro Championship on Saturday, Dec. 10, in Naples, Florida. 

At the first event on Sept. 18, a $10,000 cash prize was paid to DJ Jackson for winning the eight-man welterweight bracket -- one that Silverio was supposed to be part of before he suffered a shoulder injury against Edwin Najmi during the -77kg division finals of the UAEJJF LA Grand Slam on September 3. 

With Silverio leading 2-0 following an early takedown, Najmi attempted a single-leg sweep with a minute left in the match. Silverio was unable to post or break his fall and landed straight onto his left shoulder.

Watch Victor Silverio vs. Ricardo Rezende at the Grappling Pro Championship on Saturday, Dec. 10, LIVE or on demand on FloGrappling



Not only was it difficult to surrender the chance to win the $2,000 first-place cash prize, but the injury also put Silverio out of training for two months. 

That included missing out on the Grappling Pro Championship welterweight bracket in October, the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, and the IBJJF New York Pro in November. All would have been opportunities for Silverio to further the achievements on his resume, sharpen his skills, and -- most of all -- earn some cash. 

The diagnosis of his injury was that he had a Grade 3 AC joint separation with a torn ligament.

"I almost needed surgery, but thankfully I just had to do physical therapy," Silverio said.

Following a month of rest, he began rehab exercises. Silverio was back to training after two months: first drilling little by little, then finally rolling. By November, he was back on the mat with his main training partners, including lightweight AJ Sousa and Silverio's students at GF Team Florida. 

The chance to pick up where he left off was given to him by Marcel Goncalves, founder of the Grappling Pro Championship. Goncalves offered a superfight against another local Florida black belt in Ricardo Rezende. It is a match on a huge card that contains names like Luis Panza, Roberto Cyborg, Mahamed Aly, and more. 


The opportunity isn't being taken lightly by Silverio:

Because I was meant to fight in the first edition, Marcel trusts me to have a spot on the main card. For this I am grateful, and I think it's a great opportunity for me to support the local Florida jiu-jitsu scene while furthering my name in the process. And I really want to beat Ricardo.

 The rule set for this match will be one that Silverio has never competed in before. But he's not worried. 

"I used to be really into sumo wrestling when I was younger, so this actually really excites me," he said. 

All jokes aside, the rules for this event require a different approach than an IBJJF tournament or a submission-only event. 

The point system rewards the athlete who is able to take someone out of bounds, rather than penalizing this behavior. There is also an emphasis on side control instead of passing the guard, although you must pass in order to achieve the position. And reversals receive two points, something that ordinarily earns no reward. 



Rezende is an opponent that Silverio has faced twice before, both times at the IBJJF Miami Open (in 2015 and 2016). The first match was won by an advantage after going the distance, with Silverio's guard pass attempt earning him the win. The second match was determined by submission with a submission by Rezende. This only fuels Silverio's fire to settle the score.

Silverio is promising to engage more and push the pace in this event. He said he has no plans to study the unique rules to his advantage.

Silverio's one goal: "To submit him." 

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