Jose Delgado will come back.
The rising Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight prospect suffered a third-round loss to Brazil’s top contender Jean Silva at the main event of the year UFC 4 night last weekend (Saturday, September 12, 2026) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona (watch the highlights).
After taking a day to collect his thoughts, Delgado released a statement regarding the first main event loss of his UFC career.
“Damn, that’s how it goes,” Delgado wrote on Instagram. “I dared to be great yesterday and fell short. But man, I loved every second of being on that stage with high-level opposition; that includes the heartbreaking pain of failure. Pure freedom. Insert something cliché about bouncing back here. Thanks to God for his guidance and my village for supporting me. Also, thanks to everyone in this arena who made this walk what it was.”
Despite the short-notice intervention, Delgado (12-3) was extremely confident that he could.to put down” Silva – and for the first five minutes it looked like he might pull off the upset.
Delgado dropped Silva with a clean right hand in the opening round and repeatedly found success with his power. But Silva began to take control in the second round, increasing his pressure and mixing in his grappling.
The loss snapped Delgado’s two-fight winning streak and dropped his UFC record to 4-2. Still, the 28-year-old remains one of the most dangerous featherweights on the roster and proved he can compete against elite opposition on a huge stage.
Delgado is likely to finish 2026 with a 2-1 record after competing three times in seven months. If he’s ready to return in 2027, the UFC might give him another chance to crack the rankings.
Be sure to check out our comprehensive event archive for the latest and greatest Noche UFC 4 news and notes. here.
