Victor Silverio went through highs and lows last weekend in New York. The 25-year-old from Rio de Janeiro, who now teaches jiu-jitsu in Florida, made a comeback in the absolute gi division at the IBJJF New York Spring Open after losing in his opening middleweight match.

The GFTeam black belt left the bitter feeling of defeat aside and made his mark in the absolute division. After three matches, Silverio won gold. In the final (watch video), he had to overcome Horlando Monteiro of Nova Uniao.

"The final, I fought to win; I did what I had to do," Silverio said. "I tried to put my opponent in my strategy, and it worked. Horlando has a very good guard, and I knew it would surprise him when I pulled guard.

In the end, I almost passed. He nearly swept me, and it ended in a draw. I think I attacked more during the fight, and the judges saw the same thing.

Silverio showed a pressing style and some explosive takedown attempts.

"My strategy was to fight going forward all the time, impose my rhythm from the beginning of the fight," he said. "I ended up not managing to keep it, but I don't regret it. I'm in a period where I want to take risks and try new things to try to find the best way to fight. In all, my focus was setting the pace, so I could keep going to the end."

Silverio also took gold in the no-gi middleweight division, rounding off a solid weekend's work. In the final, he faced Enrique Galarza from Renzo Gracie.


Victor Silverio hits a fast takedown against Enrique Galarza. Photo: D Kline Design

"I managed to take him down and pass the guard," Silverio said. "I think my game is faster, no-gi. There are less positions than in the gi, less chance of getting stuck. With my style of fighting, this ended up becoming a little complicated for my opponents. Personally at this time, I'd rather fight in the gi. But who knows? Maybe one day this will change."

Silverio attributed a large part of his success to his mental preparation, something he has been actively seeking to develop.

"I guess I finally managed to find the right way to work the psychological side of things," he said. "When I started out as a black belt I felt good, but I ended up with a few injuries that hampered the process.

Today, I am more mature, more aware of what to do before and during the matches. I've read many books on sports psychology, and I recommended them to any athlete who can't figure this out. I think it's undoubtedly the most important part of any sport, and oddly enough, it is often ignored.

Silverio says he'll be back soon to compete in IBJJF tournaments such as the Boston Open, Atlanta Open, Miami Open, and -- of course -- Worlds.

"My focus is to fight as hard as I can, to have as many matches as possible," he said. "I want to pick up the pace and develop my game in the best way possible."

Watch: Victor Silverio vs Enrique Galarza