UFC 314 featherweight Jean Silva explains meaning behind ‘lock’ tattoo

Jean Silva is an brutal fighter when he’s locked in a cage with another man in the UFC, and part of what makes him a ferocious fighter is a side he doesn’t discuss much publicly.

Set to battle featherweight veteran Bryce Mitchell at UFC 314, which goes down April 12 in Miami, Silva explained to MMA Fighting the emotional meaning behind the lock tattoo he has on his chest.

“The lock has a diamond with mother’s name right under it, so no one can touch these emotions,” Silva said. “Here’s the heart, my happiness. And the lock symbolizes many things. And it’s an old lock, from a nordic era, before Christ, so maybe it’s a lock that only real emotions can open. It’s basically that. Only real people by my side.”

Silva had a difficult childhood as an obese kid, but turned his life around through martial arts. The same can be said about his mother, who inspires him to become a better man and fight adversities both inside and outside the cage.

“So nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing will stop me,” he continued. “Those who train with me know, those who are by my side every day say my head is out of the ordinary. I know what I’m going to do.”

Silva is 15-2 as a professional MMA fighter with a dozen knockouts to his credit - four of those since joining the UFC in January 2024.