Natalia Silva has secured 12 consecutive victories since 2018, with half of these wins occurring within the UFC octagon. This impressive run leads her to believe that a title opportunity could be next if she achieves a win over former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso on May 10 in Montreal, Canada.
Considered one of the most promising contenders on the UFC roster after defeating notable opponents like Jessica Andrade and Jasmine Jasudavicius, Silva anticipates that a victory could position her to face the winner of the UFC 315 co-main event between champion Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot.
While Silva views Fiorot as potentially the toughest challenge for Shevchenko in the division, she still gives the edge to “Bullet” at UFC 315. She envisions a scenario where she is next in line for a title shot following her upcoming fight.
However, Silva remains grounded and focused solely on her immediate task. “It could happen,” she acknowledged, “but it`s not something I`m thinking about right now because my focus must be on Alexa. How can I possibly think about what comes next if I haven`t even fought Alexa yet? It`s truly one step at a time. After I compete against Alexa and get the win—in the name of Jesus, amen—then we will turn our attention to something else. But that is absolutely not the focus at this moment. Alexa Grasso is the priority. She is the challenge I need to overcome now.”
Silva recently signed a new contract with the UFC after her most recent bout in September, where she defeated former 115-pound titleholder Jessica Andrade. That fight in Las Vegas also earned a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus. Silva expressed great satisfaction with the new deal, seeing it as moving her closer to her ultimate career goal.
Regarding her aspiration for the championship, Silva stated, “I`ve been thinking about that since the day I entered the UFC. I have always said I am here in the UFC to become a champion, and that remains true now. I am still fully focused on that objective of becoming champion. I feel ready for it, but I have to successfully navigate this upcoming step to get closer to that dream. I`ve always felt prepared, but it requires taking things one step at a time.”
The shift from the smaller UFC APEX venue to Montreal’s Centre Bell means competing before a larger audience and adapting from a smaller octagon to a bigger one. Silva believes the larger cage dimensions will benefit her fighting style. Furthermore, she mentioned that studying Grasso`s two extensive fights against Valentina Shevchenko over the past 18 months provides a wealth of strategic material.
“There is a lot of material to analyze,” Silva explained concerning her preparation for Grasso. “We have observed what she does effectively and areas where she might not be as strong, and we will work based on that. When fighters reach such a high level, competing against many skilled and experienced opponents, the winner is typically the one who commits fewer errors and effectively capitalizes on opportunities. That is the primary goal. When she makes a mistake, I intend to exploit it, while simultaneously trying to minimize my own errors. I believe that is the pathway to victory.”
