Following a revealing loss to Jasmine Jasudavicius in her most recent UFC appearance, Ariane da Silva identified a critical gap in her skills, prompting a significant adjustment to her training regimen in anticipation of her upcoming fight against Wang Cong on the preliminary card of UFC 316 in Newark.
Da Silva shared with MMA Fighting that she decided to temporarily leave her base in Florida and spend three weeks in Arizona, dedicating herself entirely to wrestling training with Angel Cejudo. She worked with the brother of former UFC champion Henry Cejudo specifically to address the weaknesses in her game. Her training schedule during this period was heavily focused, consisting “pretty much only no-gi and wrestling,” with occasional sessions alongside Henry and Tracy Cortez.
Reflecting on the past year, da Silva mentioned, “Last year was a bit complicated.” She explained that while she had some wrestling partners, her previous coach opened a new gym, causing scheduling conflicts that prevented them from training together consistently since her fight against Casey O’Neill. Consequently, her wrestling work was largely limited to integration within general MMA training sessions.
Da Silva initially attributed issues in a prior fight against Karine Silva to mental factors, believing she “didn`t let things go.” However, the fight against Jasudavicius offered a different perspective. “Then we had the Jasmine fight and I realized, `No, these aren`t positions I don`t recognize. It`s not that I lack knowledge on how to defend a single or double leg.` The problem was my body didn`t react appropriately when needed; it failed to execute the correct technique required to defend a takedown.”
The former KSW flyweight champion felt this fundamental change was essential, especially after suffering back-to-back losses that halted a three-fight winning streak against Karine Silva and Jasmine Jasudavicius.
“We saw that I needed dedicated training,” da Silva stated. “Every athlete learns differently. How do I learn? Through repetition. I need to train extensively, repeating techniques numerous times until my body reacts correctly in a fight situation. And that`s exactly what we prioritized now. We undertook an intensive wrestling crash course, even without knowing who my next opponent would be.”
Although she had anticipated facing Miranda Maverick next, da Silva is now scheduled to compete against Wang Cong, a Chinese prospect who recently rebounded from an unexpected loss to Gabriella Fernandes with a decision victory over Bruna Brasil.
“I believe she might even attempt a grappling game plan against me, given the vulnerability I`ve shown in my recent fights,” da Silva commented. “So, I have to be fully prepared for everything. I trained rigorously for all scenarios, pushing myself so my body can react and provide the right response to whatever the fight demands.”
Despite suffering two consecutive losses in the Octagon, da Silva maintains confidence and anticipates the same from Cong, even though Cong`s momentum was somewhat affected by her loss to Fernandes and a decision victory against a natural strawweight.
“I believe that every fighter goes into a fight with confidence, regardless of their current situation,” said da Silva, who holds a record of six wins in 13 UFC appearances. “I can speak for myself; I`m coming off two losses and still feel confident. I can`t analyze her performance and wonder about her mindset. However, I can analyze her technically, and I believe it will be a very good fight because we are both primarily strikers.”
She elaborated on her opponent`s style, “She`s very technical on her feet and doesn`t do anything unpredictable. Therefore, I anticipate this fight will predominantly take place standing, which should be entertaining for the fans to watch. It`s an opportunity for me to demonstrate my overall development in MMA, and more importantly, to enjoy the process. I`m fighting a striker, and I believe I can go in there, have fun, showcase my technique, and utilize my entire striking arsenal.”
