On Wednesday, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Real Fight Inc. (RFI) announced that undefeated lightweight Ashton “H20” Sylve (9-0, 8KOs) will face off with the much more experienced veteran lightweight William “Baby Face” Dos Santos Silva (30-4, 18 KOs) on the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz pay-per-view card live from the American Airlines Center on August 5th in Dallas, TX.
Sylve is coming off a dominating win over Adam Kipenga as the main event of MVP’s inaugural Most Valuable Prospects event, while Silva is fresh off a TKO victory over Diego Gonzalo Luque. The two will take the ring in an action packed eight-round matchup contested at 135 lbs. The Paul vs. Diaz pay-per-view will be distributed globally by DAZN PPV. In the US and Canada in addition to DAZN PPV, Paul vs. Diaz will be available on all major cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.
Sylve, the first prospect signed by MVP and ESPN Ringside’s 2022 prospect of the year, has knocked out eight of his nine opponents and has not shied away from fighting more experienced names in the ring, leveraging his formidable pound-for-pound power and fast twitch agility to deliver decisive victories in each of his professional bouts. The Long Beach, California native was a gifted amateur who turned pro at 16 with over 100 wins and 10 national titles to his credit. Sylve first rose to fame as an eight-year-old when a training video made by his father, Ivan, went viral, leading to an invite to Floyd Mayweather’s storied gym in Las Vegas.
“It has always been a dream of mine to fight among legends and shine under the brightest lights,” said Ashton Sylve. “MVP has continually given me the opportunity to do so, and I couldn’t be more excited about stepping back into the ring in what promises to be the event of the year. “I’ve been grinding like crazy to get ready for this fight, and trust me, my technique and skills will be on full display on August 5th. Dallas, get ready ’cause I’m coming for you! See you soon!”
Silva, a Brazilian native from Sao Paolo, and current resident of St. Petersburg, FL, holds the impressive title of former WBO Latino welterweight and WBO Latino lightweight champion. In 2016, Silva put his lightweight championship on the line, but was defeated by the powerful Felix Verdejo, but has since won a regional belt for the IBO.
Silva continues to fight the best in the game with only four losses in his 17 year career by Verdejo, Arnold Barboza, Cletus Seldin, and two-weight world champion Teofimo Lopez who all had a combined record of 75-1 at the time of their fight against Silva. Silva steps into the ring with Ashton Sylve coming off two straight wins, most recently a TKO against Diego Gonzalo Luque. He is training under Jim McLaughlin, a member of the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame and is promoted by Reyes Boxing and Fire Fist Promotions.
“There will be fireworks during this fight,” shared William Silva. “I’m fighting for my family and country.”