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Karine Silva’s Journey To The Top Continues
Undefeated Inside The Octagon, Karine Silva Looks To Crack The Top 10 By Defeating Viviane Araújo At UFC 309
Karine Silva couldn’t be happier to be competing at UFC 309, the same card as Jon Jones, someone who is she is a fan of.
“I like his game,” Silva said. “He is very complete, versatile.”
Earlier this week, when she spoke with UFC Brazil, Silva expressed her excitement to be fighting in New York City. During her interview on Wednesday, she hadn’t seen Jones yet, and said when she saw him, then it would all start to sink in that she was actually in fight week in New York.
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The 30-year-old was first introduced to fans back in 2021, competing on Dana White’s Contender Series, earning a second-round submission. She made her debut in June 2022 and has been a threat in the flyweight division ever since.
Saturday night inside Madison Square Garden, she faces her toughest test to date in the No. 9 ranked flyweight, Viviane Araújo. Silva sits just two spots behind her in the rankings at No. 11, so a win could push her into the top 10, just two years into her UFC career.
“I think this was my hardest camp,” Silva said. “My coaches were dedicated, they made me work really hard, but everything is fine. I know what to do and my heart is calm. I did everything I could and a little more. I'll go after the win this Saturday.”
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Silva hasn’t lost since 2019, meaning she comes into this fight on a nine-fight win streak. Through four UFC fights, Silva has only gone to the judges’ scorecards one time, and it was in her last fight against Ariane Lipski. Prior to that, her other three UFC wins have come by first-round submission, showcasing the threat that she is on the ground.
And that was solidified when Silva recently received her black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
“I'm finally a black belt,” Silva said. “I worked many years to achieve this, but I don't think this will affect anything. I did everything I needed to do.”
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Facing Araújo will be a great test for Silva as she looks to continue to move up the flyweight ladder. Araújo has been in the UFC since 2019, but hasn’t been able to string along wins consistently, having won nine of her last 14. Her last fight was against rising star Natalia Silva, where she lost by unanimous decision.
Araújo has never been submitted in her career, which could make things interesting, considering Silva’s experience when things go to the mat. Silva has been prepared for whatever Araújo may bring to the table.
“I think I trained even more the area where I think I'm good, which is the grappling, but I also trained my striking,” Silva said. “Whatever she brings, no matter the problem she brings to me, I have the solution. She is a striker, like my last opponents. If I impose my game, go forward, and be more aggressive, I will win.”
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Just a few weeks shy of her 31st birthday, getting a win would be a nice birthday present and a good way to end the year, but she isn’t focused on 2025 just yet. She is keeping her focus on the task at hand, which is defeating Araújo and hopefully cracking into that Top 10. She isn’t sure how the victory is going to come on Saturday night, but she is certain she’ll leave Madison Square Garden with her hand raised.
“My focus is here. My focus is on Viviane on Saturday night. The first thing I need to do is to take this step, to climb this step, and I'll do it on Saturday.”
UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic took place live from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on November 16, 2024. 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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