Who is Natalia Silva? All you need to know about the Brazilian flyweight before her co-main event fight at UFC Vegas 97

Jessica Andrade will take on a rising contender in Natalia Silva in the UFC Vegas 97 co-main event. A relatively unknown figure among casual and semi-hardcore MMA fans, Silva belongs to a long lineage of Brazilian UFC fighters. She has the skills and the potential to shake up the title picture in the foreseeable future.

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Who is Natalia Silva?

Natalia Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight division of the UFC. At the time of this writing, she is the No. 8-ranked UFC flyweight contender.

Silva was born on Feb. 3, 1997, in Pingo-d'Agua, Minas Gerais, Brazil, where she spent her childhood. She started training in martial arts at 16 and has stayed on that path ever since. She took her initial steps in taekwondo and holds a purple belt in the discipline.

The Brazilian made her professional MMA debut in April 2015 when she was 18. Despite her current potential, Silva struggled to find success early on and amassed an unimpressive 4-4-1 record in the first 20 months of her professional MMA career. A lot of her failure can be attributed to her lack of grappling skills at the time.

Carlos Borracha of Jungle Fight offered training and accommodation to the 27-year-old, who learned grappling to turn her career around in the following years. Silva is now a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu but her game primarily revolves around her dynamic striking arsenal. Starting from March 2017, Silva went 13-1 in her subsequent fights and is currently riding an impressive 11-fight win streak.

During this run, she won and defended the Jungle Fight women's flyweight title and earned a UFC contract in 2020. In her promotional debut in June 2022, Silva defeated Jasmine Jasudavicius by unanimous decision. She is currently on a five-fight win streak in the UFC.

Her latest victory came against Viviane Araujo by unanimous decision in February 2024. She continues to represent the Carlos Borracha-led Team Borracha.

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Natalia Silva penned a heartfelt message after her UFC debut

Signing a UFC contract is a big milestone in most MMA fighters' careers. Losing the debut or not being able to fight after getting on board could be one of the most frustrating parts of the journey.

Unfortunately for Silva, her UFC debut was delayed by nearly two years after signing the contract due to lingering injuries and health issues. Following her win over Jasmine Jasudavicius, Silva shared her thoughts on her tumultuous journey in an Instagram post:

"Finally, I was able to release the scream that had been stuck for almost 3 years! How difficult was it to get here, my God!!! How much fighting, how many tears, but today I understand everything. The Lord was taking care of everything, preparing me and making me strong. I know Lord that if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have made it. The Lord said to me 'Do not be afraid' and I did not. Thank you, my Lord. What a happiness !!!!" [Translated from Portuguese]

Silva has climbed her way into the top 10 of the UFC flyweight division. Former UFC strawweight champion and flyweight title challenger Jessica Andrade is the No.6-ranked flyweight contender and the fight will mark a major step up in competition for Silva.

UFC Vegas 97 will take place at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sept. 7.