SINGAPORE – Silvana Gomez Juarez likely saved her UFC career on Saturday night.
The Argentine strawweight entered UFC 275 on a two-fight losing streak that marked the entirety of her run in the UFC. Juarez (11-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) lost her debut in October 2021 and then the following fight earlier this year in January, both by first-round submission. She was in much need of a win.
At UFC 275, Juarez delivered a highlight-reel knockout, putting out Liang Na with a brutal right hand. It was a big moement for “La Malvada.”
“I feel very happy,” Juarez told reporters through an interpreter at the UFC 275 post-fight press conference. “This is a dream I had since I started MMA, to get to the UFC and win in the UFC. It’s something that I owed to myself, my family and all the people who supported me. I’m happy that they’re able to see a little of what ‘La Malvada’ has.”
Juarez said the fight-ending shot, which won a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, was part of her plan. The 37-year-old looked to finish Na from the start.
“It was part of the strategy and I followed it to the tee,” Juarez said. “Maybe they were asking me for a bit more pressure in the beginning, but I needed to feel her distance and feel the moment of when I’d be able to connect. I didn’t want to strike at the air, so it was a matter of getting the distance, finding the opening and connecting.”