Athletes
Viviane Araújo In Familiar Territory
Brazilian Veteran Talks Facing Compatriot Karine Silva At MSG This Weekend
“Discretion is the better part of valor” is one of those adages that never quite resonates until you get a little older, much in the same way that very few people under the age of 35 will ever accept the truth in the notion that “youth is wasted on the young.”
Earlier this year, Viviane Araújo had to put the first of those two precise ideas into practice when she was forced to withdraw from her scheduled bout with Jasmine Jasudavicius in Denver in order to ensure that she was fully healthy for opportunities that were to arise later in the year.
“After my fight with Natalia (Silva), I had some time to take care of my mental and fix what wasn't done during the fight, because I lost in the details,” began Araujo, speaking with UFC.com earlier this week ahead of her returning to action against Karine Silva on Saturday night at UFC 309. “I went back home, trained a lot, kept very focused and worked to get back stronger.
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“Unfortunately, I tore my meniscus during the fight, so I had the surgery, recovered, but with that I had to pull off the fight against Jasmine (Jasudavicius) so I could get back 100%. Today, I'm 100% physically, feeling very well, so Saturday will be great.”
Entering the year off a quality win over fellow Brazilian Jennifer Maia, the 37-year-old Cerrado MMA representative began her 2024 campaign with another all-Brazilian matchup against Silva, a rising star in the 125-pound weight class who had put together a four-fight winning streak to climb into the rankings and was aiming to take another step up the divisional ladder.
Araujo started well, winning the opening round on all three scorecards before the younger Silva rallied to sweep the final two frames and claim the unanimous decision win. The pairing with Jasudavicius was set to be something quite similar — another matchup with an emerging fighter, where Araujo would serve as the veteran litmus test for the ascending Canadian — and this weekend’s matchup with the division’s other advancing Silva is tailored the same way.
There are some athletes that loathe being positioned as a gatekeeper or routinely deployed in this fashion, but for the tenured Araujo, she sees the positives of being relied upon in this type of situation, and views this weekend’s bout at Madison Square Garden as an opportunity to show that she is also very much in the mix in the shifting and competitive flyweight division.
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“I like to be in the focus of the UFC, to work and showcase my potential,” began Araujo. “I know the girls are coming strong, and there are many girls with great potential to eventually fight for the title, but I'm among them, so it will be difficult to go through me. Let's see what will happen on Saturday, because I am very ready.
“Karine is a girl with great potential,” she continued, briefly shifting her focus to her compatriot and opponent this weekend, who carries a 4-0 record inside the Octagon and nine-fight winning streak overall into this weekend’s main card fixture. “She brings a lot of movement in her striking and a lot of submissions, her grappling is very sharp, but I'm ready for everything.
“I've been in the UFC for a long time, I've been (in the) Top 10 since 2019 and there is a reason why. I'm here to prove that I'm still evolving and that I can be the next title challenger.”
Having to withdraw from the bout with Jasudavicius in Denver means that this weekend’s matchup with Silva will be the fourth straight contest where Araujo will face off with a fellow Brazilian.
It’s a situation that can be both challenging and rewarding, depending on how you look at it, as athletes from outside of the United States can often be understandably reticent to share the Octagon with others from their home nation, usually because their numbers at this level are so few. But the other side of that coin is that these constant Top 15 matchups amongst Brazilians illustrates the depth of talent coming from the South American MMA hotbed, and how well competitors from the country are doing inside the Octagon.
To wit, there are currently 37 athletes fighting in the women’s 125-pound weight class — 13 are from the United States and 11 are from Brazil, which is much closer than the overall 2:1 ratio that exists throughout the entire roster when comparing the two most well-represented nations in the UFC.
“Brazilian girls are showing we are getting better every time and moving up in the rankings in the world's greatest organization,” offered Araujo, who has gone 1-2 in those previous three matchups against fellow Brazilians, and 12-6 overall for her career. “It only shows the amount of potential we have in Brazil.
“I’m happy to fight a fellow Brazilian; it's part of the job.”
She’s also happy to not only be taking part in the UFC’s annual November trip to Madison Square Garden, but to be featured so prominently, as well, as her bout with Silva serves as the middle bout on the five-fight main card.
While it’s not the first time she’s taken part in a pay-per-view main card — and she’s headlined a Fight Night event in the past, as well — it is the highest up the call sheet Araujo has been on a numbered event to date, and she’s eager to make the most of her latest moment in the spotlight this weekend.
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“What an honor (to fight at Madison Square Garden) and what a card,” began Araujo when asked about being a part of UFC 309. “I feel honored that the UFC chose me to be a part of this card.
“The spotlight will be on us and my goal is to do my best,” she added. “I'm very prepared mentally because the pressure is high, so we try and keep calm, collected and focused on the main goal, which is to get the win on Saturday.”
And if everything goes according to plan, how does she see the fight playing out?
“I win via TKO in Round 2.”
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!