Natalia Silva has amassed an impressive twelve-fight winning streak since 2018, with half of those victories taking place under the UFC banner. She believes that a win over former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso on May 10 in Montreal, Canada, could potentially earn her a shot at the title.
Having defeated notable opponents like Jessica Andrade and Jasmine Jasudavicius inside the octagon, Silva is widely considered one of the UFC`s most exciting prospects. She suggests that a victory against Grasso could set up a future matchup with the winner of the UFC 315 co-main event bout between current champion Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot.
Silva views Fiorot as potentially the “most difficult” challenger for Shevchenko in the division but still leans towards “Bullet” securing the win at UFC 315. She envisions a scenario where she is next in line for a title opportunity if she emerges victorious on Saturday.
“It’s a possibility,” Silva stated, “but it’s not something I’m currently focused on because all my attention must be on Alexa. How can I even think about what’s next if I haven’t even faced Alexa yet, you know? It’s about taking things one step at a time. After I fight Alexa and win—in the name of Jesus, amen—then we can consider other possibilities. But that is genuinely not the priority right now. Alexa Grasso is the main focus. She is the challenge I need to overcome at this moment.”
Following her last fight in September, where she defeated former 115-pound titleholder Jessica Andrade in a bout that earned a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus in Las Vegas, Silva signed a new contract with the UFC. She expressed being “very happy” with the new agreement, feeling it brings her one step closer to achieving her ultimate ambition.
“I’ve thought about that goal ever since I joined the UFC,” Silva commented regarding becoming champion. “I’ve always maintained that I’m here in the UFC to be champion, and that perspective hasn’t changed. I still hold that focus, that aspiration of becoming champion. I feel ready for that challenge, but first, I need to successfully navigate this step to get closer to that dream. I’ve always felt prepared, but it’s about progressing one step at a time [laughs].”
Transitioning from the smaller UFC APEX venue to the larger Centre Bell in Montreal presents a larger audience and requires adapting from the smaller octagon to the standard size. Silva believes this change will be advantageous for her fighting style. She specifically highlighted that watching Grasso`s two lengthy encounters with Shevchenko (totaling nearly 70 minutes over 18 months) provided valuable material for analysis.
“There’s a wealth of material to study; we`ve observed her strengths and areas where she might be less effective, and we are working on exploiting those,” Silva remarked. “When a fighter reaches such a high echelon, competing against numerous skilled and seasoned opponents, success often comes down to making fewer errors and capitalizing on opportunities. That is the objective. When she makes a mistake, I intend to take advantage of it—while striving to minimize my own mistakes. I believe that is the key to victory.”
