“Winning this tournament would be very good for my career,” said Silva through translator / manager Alex Davis. “I still do not feel I am getting the attention I deserve as a fighter.”

It’s not from a lack of trying, as the 31-year old native of Brasilia, Brazil has been plugging away in the world of professional mixed martial arts since 2005, when he defeated Tengiz Tedoradze. Since then, it’s been a steady rise up the ranks, as he’s fought everywhere from England and Japan to Canada and the United States, with no steady place to call home, making the assessment of his career thus far a realistic one, as he notes that fighting can sometimes be the easiest part of being in this game.

“I do not feel burned out by the training and fighting,” he said. “The business aspects, on the other hand, kill me.”

In 2009, Silva found a steady home in Strikeforce, and though he lost his first fight in the promotion via decision to Fabricio Werdum, his subsequent victories over Arlovski, Mike Kyle, and Emelianenko erased that memory quick, with the win over Fedor, the former PRIDE great, taking him to another level in terms of public perception.

“It was a great night,” said Silva of the February 12 bout in New Jersey, in which he earned a spot in the Grand Prix semifinals via second round TKO.

The bout established the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt as a serious threat in the division, and his profile was expected to rise even higher if he was able to defeat the promotion’s heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem, in the semis this Saturday night in Cincinnati. But when Overeem pulled out of the tournament and was eventually released from his Strikeforce contract, it hit Silva hard.

“I was really disappointed,” he said. “It was a good fight for me I think.”

But there’s still a fight to fight this weekend, and still a final to make it to should he win, so Silva had to change gears quick and get ready for a new foe. Yet in unbeaten two-time Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier, he couldn’t have gotten more of a polar opposite in terms of size and style.

“I had to completely readjust my training,” admitted Silva. “I was going fight a tall, famous striker; now I face a short, world-class, relatively unknown wrestler. It’s a completely different challenge.”

True, but it’s also one that Silva is preparing for and taking very seriously. A recent change in camps to Team Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro is apparently paying benefits, and being in Brazil for the recent UFC 134 event to see his friend and mentor “Minotauro” Nogueira score a huge win over Brendan Schaub was a moment he will never forget. The former PRIDE / UFC heavyweight champion had never fought in his home country before, and it’s the same story for Silva, who says “To fight in Brazil is the dream of every Brazilian.”

The more pressing business is getting through Cormier and then awaiting the winner of the other semifinal this weekend between Josh Barnett and Sergei Kharitonov. Silva believes Barnett-Kharitonov “will be an awesome fight and I think Barnett wins,” but he may be a little biased in that pick considering that when asked if he had a preference for an opponent to face in the final, he responded, “I want to fight Barnettt, he is a #$^#.”

Those are fighting words, but both heavyweights have to win this Saturday night to be able to settle their score in the cage in a Grand Prix final that the Brazilian believes will put the winner in the worldwide top five. And that’s fine with Silva, as he’s paid his dues and is finally beginning to see his patience pay off. He’s built a nice fanbase among the hardcore, and now it’s time to take things even further. But no matter where this road eventually leads him, some things will always remain consistent.

“They (the fans) know I always come to fight, and they will see me in great shape.”

What more can you ask from a heavyweight contender?