The viral video, which has amassed thousands of views since being posted on May 12, shows what appears to be a friendly demonstration gone wrong. In the clip, Silva can be seen applying the submission technique on a willing participant. However, when the fan taps out—the universal signal to stop in combat sports—Silva continues applying pressure until the man goes limp.
Bystanders can be heard reacting with surprise, with multiple exclamations of “Oh!” as they realize the fan has lost consciousness.
The incident has triggered a wave of condemnation on social media, with many users criticizing Silva‘s actions as dangerous and unprofessional.
“Fan tapped. What a douche,” wrote one user.
“What a c*nt,” while a third warned, “Try not to get charged for murder before your title shot, Jean.”
“This image is concerning, this is proven psychopathy, you need to be careful with this type of person.”
“He should be sued to learn his lesson.”
Not all reactions were critical, however. Some fans appeared to find humor in the situation, while others defended Silva, noting he “has been through a lot.”
Silva subsequently deleted the clip.
But even though the reaction was highly critical, the actual fan didn’t take it to heart. He seemed bewildered and amused at Silva‘s behavior and had a fun handshake with him after.
Combat sports experts note that continuing to apply a chokehold after a tap-out violates fundamental safety protocols that are emphasized at all levels of martial arts training. Chokeholds that restrict blood flow to the brain can cause serious injury if maintained too long.
This controversy comes at a time when Silva has been working to build his fan base in Brazil, with one commenter ironically noting,
“That’s why he has no fans in Brazil, he’s killing them all!”
