Fast and successful. After two wins on the amateur circuit, Silva quickly turned pro and hasn’t looked back in amassing an impressive 14-4 record. Her most recent win – and her fifth straight – came in front of her biggest international audience to that point when she secured a UFC contract on Week 9, Season 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series last October.
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Rozenstruik
“A clear display of power, technique and composure,” announcer Michael Bisping would say of Silva’s performance, a performance that saw her calmly weather an unrelenting tidal wave of power by the name of Yan Qihui until she saw her opening in the second round to jump the guillotine. Mick Maynard, Sean Shelby and UFC president Dana White sat Octagonside in visible awe. In awarding her a contract that night, White would remark that he liked, “everything about her.”
“It was amazing, just overcoming one thing after another. I was very happy,” Silva recalls. “I was even happier with the result. It was really cool, one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It was exciting.”
The 28-year-old will look to build on that excitement and momentum Saturday when she steps into the Octagon against fellow Brazilian Poliana Botelho at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Rozenstruik. Already a veteran of the flyweight division, Botelho is a tough first assignment for anyone. But Silva views the matchmaking and her main card placement as validation of her skillset.
“This is just the result of our hard work,” she says of the pairing. “Obviously, I was very happy. I already knew her work in the UFC since she’s had some fights. We got to analyze some things and on Saturday night we’ll find out what the next step is.”