Athletes
Karine Silva | The Road Forward
Brazilian Flyweight Looks To Bounce Back From First UFC Loss With Best Performance To-Date Against Dione Barbosa At UFC 319
Last November at UFC 309, Brazilian rising star Karine Silva suffered her first UFC loss to Viviane Araújo.
The 31-year-old flyweight entered that fight with a perfect 5-0 record in the Octagon, including four submission victories and a contract-winning performance on Dana White’s Contender Series. While the setback in New York City stalled her momentum, Silva sees it as a turning point in her climb toward UFC gold.
“As I always think about my defeats, they always transform me,” Silva said. “Not only from the inside out, but on the outside, as well. I even moved from Curitiba to São Paulo… Everything is different. Some things, some habits will remain, which are good habits. But there was a lot that took me out of my comfort zone and put me in a completely new world.”
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“I think that all the bricks, all the steps that I've been building in my career, I think I'm in the right place. I'm happy to be here and I'm already aiming after this victory to take new and bigger steps [and] in the long term, to win the belt.”
This Saturday, Silva will be back in action for the first time in nine months against short-notice opponent Dione Barbosa at UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev. Millions of eyes will be on the United Center Saturday night, making this fight the perfect opportunity for Silva to restart her run toward the top of the 125-pound division.
“I'm very happy, very excited to be back,” Silva said. “I missed fight week. Oh, I'm feeling very ready, so I’ve just come here now to savor this week that is always wonderful and seek victory on Saturday.
“I think I'm ready to take on more challenges and give another show and do my best performance. I believe it will be the best performance of my life. So, I see it as building a very beautiful path.”
While you might expect the short two-week notice to present extra challenges for Silva after JJ Aldrich was removed from the bout, she isn’t fazed. In recent months, she joined The Fighting Nerds, training alongside the likes of Caio Borralho, Carlos Prates, Jean Silva, and Mauricio Ruffy. Silva believes this camp has put her in a position to beat any opponent placed in front of her this weekend.
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“Even with the change of the opponent, the plan remains the same: perform with excellence and seek victory,” Silva said. “Some adjustments were made because one was [orthodox] and the other left-handed. But I believe that everything we did during the camp these last five months was built so that we were ready to fight, regardless of [opponent].”
Catch Karine Silva in action this Saturday, August 16, as she looks to cement her position in the Top 15 with a standout performance at UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev.
UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev took place live from United Center in Chicago, Illinois on August 16, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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