Athletes
Natalia Silva: Get Ready For 'The Danger Natalia'
Brazilian Flyweight Is On A Tear And Looking To Claim The Biggest Win Of Her Career At UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Brady.
Natalia Silva is absolutely flying at the moment, and the Brazilian flyweight contender is continuing to evolve her game.
Her skillset is developing with every performance inside the Octagon, and she’s adding more talent to her repertoire away from the cage, too.
Silva sat down with UFC.com ahead of her bout with Jessica Andrade, but despite having a translator on hand, she was determined to put her new language skills to use.
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“I am trying my English!” she grinned.
“I am so happy. I love fight week. For me, it is the best moment of the camp, because it’s when you finish your work, and I’m very excited for this week. I have been working a lot, and to be in the UFC, it is a dream for me. I am so happy for my moment here.”
Silva’s career record reads 17 wins, five losses, one draw, but her form at this stage of her career shows that she’s really found her feet at this level of the sport.
Silva is in outstanding form, with her last four victories coming in the UFC’s Octagon. It’s a far cry from her early years, where she struggled to build winning momentum. Indeed, it took two years and nine pro fights before Silva even had a winning record.
But, after losing five of her first 12 career bouts, Silva hasn’t tasted defeat since, and is riding an 11-fight win streak heading into this weekend’s bout with Andrade.
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Silva explained that those early losses helped her improve, and helped her develop into the world-class flyweight we see today.
“I did learn a lot with my losses,” she said.
“When I fight, I watch my fights when I lose (or) when I win. I like to see what I did good, and what I did bad, and I’ve improved by watching this.”
During that time, Silva moved cities and changed teams. Now she’s an integral part of Team Borracha, where she trains with a small, but dedicated, group that includes UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa. Silva said that she’s in the perfect spot to make the next leap in her development as she aims to gate crash the flyweight elite with victory this weekend.
“The fight against Jessica opens a new door for me, and I am really ready for this fight, because I know she's is a big opportunity for me, and I am here to do this,” she said.
“My teammates are my support. They are so good. I have the best coach, the best training partners. I love my team, Team Borracha. I love training there, because they’re the best!”
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Backed by a close-knit team and riding a phenomenal run of form, it’s no surprise that Silva is smiling. But, make no mistake, the 27-year-old from Minas Gerais is one of the most dangerous rising stars at 125 pounds. And she’s ready to put herself within striking distance of the division’s top five with an attention-grabbing victory on Saturday night.
“So, Jessica, it is a good fight. (She’s) very dangerous, very strong, and she is a good name, and I am happy to fight against her.
"I’ve trained a lot and I will take advantage of this opportunity. I’m coming for the win.”
And, when asked if she could tell the fans what they can expect from her as she looks to defeat a former UFC champion this weekend, Silva grinned again.
“I will give you my best in this fight, and when I am fighting, I perform,” she said.
“The fans can get ready for ‘The Danger Natalia!’”
UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Brady took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 7, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!