After celebrating his biggest win of the year in November, Alex “Little Rock” Silva received an even better surprise.

The 36-year-old Brazilian was offered the opportunity by ONE Championship’s matchmakers to headline ONE: FIRE & FURY on Friday, 31 January in Manila, Philippines.

Silva was red hot in the second half of 2019. Most recently, he engineered a brilliant arm-bar submission win over Chinese athlete Peng Xue Wen – his second straight submission victory in just four months.

Thanks in large part to his impressive performances, Silva has earned the right to challenge reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio for the belt in Manila.

“Joshua and I were supposed to face each other, but for some reason that did not happen,” Silva said.

“During that time, I lost a match and then I think he lost a match. I believe this is a match that the people at ONE and the fans really want to see.”

Silva, a former ONE Strawweight World Champion himself, admitted that while he did not expect a World Title shot to start the year, he is grateful for a chance to regain the gold.

“I was a little surprised when I heard about the offer, but I agreed because I am very excited to face Joshua,” he said.

“Both of us have faced most of the top guys in the division besides each other, so I think this match-up really made sense, and I’m really happy for this opportunity.”

Ever since Silva lost his belt to Yoshitaka Naito in 2018, he has witnessed the Team Lakay sensation climb the divisional ranks to capture the gold and believes facing “The Passion” will be a true test of his skill and ability.

“He is one of the toughest guys in a really tough division. I think this is a good match-up for me. I’m always looking to compete with guys on that level, particularly now that he’s the champion, so this will be a great match,” Silva said.

Although Silva is 14 years older than his counterpart, he is vastly more experienced and putting in the necessary work in the gym to prepare for this bout.

“I think it’s going to be more pressure on his shoulders because he’s the defending champion in his hometown,” the Singapore-based Brazilian said.

“I respect Joshua, so I will still be doing my best every day to be very well prepared for our match.”

With all the sacrifices and struggles to get back to becoming the number one contender, nothing less than a win will suffice for “The Rock.”

“I definitely want to get back my belt. I have seen this in my mind, the belt on my waist. I offer no predictions, but I know this will be an interesting match for the fans and a very difficult fight for both of us in the cage,” Silva said.

“I need to use all my skills – not just grappling, not only striking, but to mix everything up in order to win.

“I believe I am in a better place mentally, and also in my personal life, things couldn’t be better. I respect all the guys in the division, but with where I am now, I believe no one can defeat me inside the cage.”

In the meantime, The Home Of Martial Arts kicks off 2020 with ONE: A NEW TOMORROW at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on 10 January.

Catch all the action live and for free on the ONE Super App.

Read More From ONE Championship:

3 Spectacular Performances That Made Alex Silva A World Champion

Singapore Allowed Alex Silva To Make A Better Life For His Family

How Alex Silva Helped Yoshitaka Naito Find His Warrior Spirit