Jay Silva has died at 45, and FAME MMA made the announcement on Monday morning. The former UFC fighter’s death was confirmed after his last run in combat sports stretched across mixed martial arts and kickboxing, ending with a final bout only months ago.

People searching his name today are finding a career that moved through some of the sport’s best-known stages. Silva debuted in the UFC in 2009, lost decisions to CB Dollaway and Chris Leben in a two-fight stint, and was released soon after. He later fought for Bellator MMA, KSW and Golden Boy MMA, and he finished his MMA career with a 12-14-1 record.

His most memorable result came in 2013, when he knocked out Michał Materla while fighting for KSW, a win that still sits near the center of his legacy for fans who followed him outside the UFC. Silva also kept competing late in his career, losing a decision to Denis Labryga at Fame 25 in April 2025 before returning for a kickboxing match against Tomasz Sarara at Fame 29 in January 2026, which he lost by decision.

FAME MMA did not announce a cause of death at the time of the report, leaving the central question around Silva’s passing unanswered. That gap hangs over the tributes that followed, including a post from promoter Michal Baron on X, who wrote that Silva was a great man and thanked him for the cheerful moments, the good fights and the private chats, adding that he and others would miss him very much.

Silva, an Angola native, moved through promotions around the world and became best known to many MMA fans for his brief UFC run. For now, the lasting fact is that one of the sport’s familiar journeymen is gone, and the details of how he died have still not been made public.