Mayra Bueno Silva made a strong case for her contention for the vacant UFC women’s bantamweight championship. At UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday, Bueno Silva accomplished a feat achieved by only two other legends, Amanda Nunes and Miesha Tate, by becoming the third person to stop former UFC champion Holly Holm.
In the opening round of the main event, Holm displayed a commendable performance against Bueno Silva. Employing her trademark point-fighting style, she maintained distance and engaged in clinches to counter Bueno Silva’s aggressive approach. Holm’s determination to close the distance proved beneficial in the first round but ultimately led to her downfall in the subsequent phase.
Pressing Bueno Silva against the fence, Holm was outmaneuvered by the submission expert. Bueno Silva skillfully applied a ninja choke, pressing down on Holm’s face and adjusting her position to secure a tight grip. But this submission combines elements of a rear-naked choke with the body positioning resembling a standard guillotine choke.
Holly Holm vs Mayra Bueno Silva: Brazil has a new champion in the making
Following a convincing victory at UFC 289 in June, Nunes announced her retirement, relinquishing both the UFC women’s bantamweight and women’s featherweight championships. Moreover, She rallied her fellow Brazilian fighters, urging them to step up and fill the void she left behind. In the past, Brazilian champions like Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo reigned supreme in their respective divisions, but with Nunes’ retirement, the country was without an active titleholder. Bueno Silva and Alexandre Pantoja before her took a significant stride towards fulfilling that destiny.
“I finish my fights! I give a show to everybody!” Bueno Silva said during her post-fight interview. “This belt is my belt! And This belt is Amanda’s belt! This belt is a Brazilian belt!”
Bueno Silva issued a challenge for a women’s bantamweight title bout against former champion Julianna Pena, highlighting her determination to meet the high standards set by Nunes. Additionally, Bueno Silva shared her personal experiences with mental health, advocating for anyone facing similar challenges to seek support and assistance.
“Recently, I found myself in a huge, huge depression. I thought that life was not worth it anymore,” Bueno Silva said during her post-fight through a translator. “That being alive wasn’t worth it anymore. I found these people here and I found this girl [UFC alum Gloria de Paula] over here. This might happen to you. Find somebody, reach out to somebody. The victory is always there. It’s not lost. Reach out to somebody.”
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