Athletes
Natalia Silva | Fighting With Joy
If You're Not On The Bandwagon Yet For This Brazilian Flyweight, Now Might Be The Time
If Natalia Silva isn’t on your list of emerging fighters to watch yet, when will she be? What will it take? Will a victory over Andrea Lee on the prelims of UFC 292 this weekend be enough to convince you?
Her résumé to date has been pretty darn convincing. Her UFC debut was a one-sided unanimous decision win over Jasmine Jasudavicus at UFC Austin in June 2022. She it followed up with a breathtaking Performance of the Night spinning back kick TKO of Tereza Bleda—the only loss of Bleda’s career—and most recently finished Victoria Leonardo last May with another TKO that still ranks as one of the best finishes so far this year.
UFC 292 Fight By Fight Preview
As the character Maximus famously chimed in the movie Gladiator: “Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you’re here?”
Not unlike her compatriot Amanda Ribas, Silva radiates cheer and good vibes at every turn. Even in the Octagon, she fights with an evident love for her chosen profession and greets each victory with visible gratitude.
“I'm very happy. I love doing this. I love to fight. I bring all my heart.”
At least part of the smiles are rooted in overcoming a twice-broken arm that stalled her UFC career shortly after she was signed. She watched for almost two years from the sidelines, uncertain if she would ever compete again in the manner audiences were accustomed to seeing.
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“I think my biggest motivation is to be healthy, happy and doing what I love. I’ll definitely fight with great joy.”
The bout with Lee marks a big step up in competition; arguably her biggest test since she fought a pre-UFC Marina Rodriguez in 2017. It was the last professional loss on her 15-5-1 record.
Although on a two-fight skid, Lee has long been both a fixture and a force at flyweight for almost as long as the division has existed. The formed Invicta FC champ is no stranger to top-level competition and isn’t keen on letting a rising prospect undo the work she has put in.
“Andrea is a very well-rounded athlete. She has good striking, good kicks, a good grappling game. She's a tough athlete and I’ve prepared for that.”
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Preparation is central to the game of Silva, who is rarely ever spotted outside the gym. Even after her extended layoff, almost inexplicably she emerged better than she was before the arm issues.
“I moved to Contagem (Brazil) because of this dream of being here in the UFC. It was hard to be away from home, from my mom and siblings. My coaches Carlos Borracha and Rames, my whole team, my strength and conditioning coach…all the people that have been on my side and have helped me get here the best way possible. I know how hard it is to get here and all the things I have to sacrifice. I have to be away from home and family quite often. So I use all my time to train. There’s no other way.”
The process is clearly paying dividends on fight night, but Silva has maintained through all four of her UFC fight weeks so far that despite her successful run, she’s not going to rush greatness.
“Even if I have a plan, that’s mainly up to the UFC. I’m here to fight. I’ve said that since I got here. I just want to keep fighting. So it’s up to them and the fights they give me. It's a big event and there’s this big Brazilian community here in Boston. I’m really happy that the UFC gave me the opportunity to have this fight. I think that shows they actually believe in my work. I'm here to work and to be the champion.”
Top Finishes From UFC 292 Fighters
For the moment, she’s content to share a pay-per-view card with a compatriot who is taking her own shot at championship gold in the UFC 292 co-main event.
“To see Amanda Lemos get here with the life story she has and to fight Weili Zhang for the belt, I'm very happy. It's great to see people achieving things. It’s an inspiration to see Amanda fighting for the belt, especially a Brazilian woman. That’s just amazing. I'm very happy to see her and I’m sending her all my support and energy for her to win this belt. That’s a dream come true, so I just wanted to say that I really want to see her become champion.”
UFC 292: Sterling vs O'Malley took place live from TD Garden in Boston on August 19, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
