Natália Miranda Cristina da Silva (born February 3, 1997) is a Brazilian professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

who competes in the women's

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing up to and including 51 kg (112 lb) for a title fight. Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of boxin ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC). As of May 13, 2025, she is #1 in the UFC women's flyweight rankings and as of June 10, 2025, she is #6 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.

Background

Natália Silva was born in Pingo-d'Água, a small town near

Ipatinga Ipatinga is a Municipalities of Brazil, Brazilian municipality located in the interior of the Federative units of Brazil, state of Minas Gerais, in the Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeast Region of Brazil. Situated in the Vale do Rio Doce (meso ...

, Brazil, and started her journey in martial arts at 16, initially through taekwondo in a voluntary social project. Her passion for competition grew, leading her to transition into MMA after a first fight invitation from friends at the age of 18. This shift allowed her to discover her true potential, connect with fellow fighters, and ultimately led her to the world of professional fighting. Her path eventually crossed with Jungle Fight, opening doors for her to pursue fighting as a career.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Beginning her career mostly only knowing taekwondo, Silva struggled with her transition to MMA, losing a couple of her first bouts due to not knowing any grappling. In 2017, Silva was invited by Carlos Borracha to fight for Jungle Fight, who generously offered her both a gym to train and a place to live. However, it wasn't until 2019 that Silva had her first shot at the flyweight belt in Jungle Fight. Facing off against Gabi Marçal, Silva secured a victory in the opening round through a submission, executing a skillful strike and seamlessly transitioning into an arm lock on the ground. Subsequently, the fighter from Minas Gerais had the task of defending her championship belt against Joice Mara. With mere seconds left in the fourth round, she clinched victory once again, employing an arm lock submission to secure the win.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Silva signed with the UFC in 2020, however her debut was delayed after suffering a broken arm and several complications and other injuries. Silva made her debut with the promotion on June 18, 2022, at UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett against Jasmine Jasudavicius, defeating her via unanimous decision. In her sophomore performance with the promotion, Silva faced Tereza Bledá on November 29, 2022, at UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba, winning the bout via TKO stoppage due to a spinning back kick and ground and pound in the third round. With this win, Silva earned her first '' Performance of the Night'' bonus. Silva faced

Victoria Leonardo Victoria Leonardo Mason (born February 16, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born in the Pomona section of Galloway Township, New Jersey, Leonard ...

on May 20, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 223. She won the fight via technical knockout in round one. Silva faced her first ranked opponent in Andrea Lee at

UFC 292 ''UFC 292: Sterling vs. O'Malley'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 19, 2023, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Background The event marked the promot ...

on August 19, 2023. She won the fight by unanimous decision. Silva, on her birthday, faced Viviane Araújo on February 3, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 235. She won the fight by unanimous decision. Silva faced former

UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

Jéssica Andrade Jéssica Fernanda da Costa Andrade (born September 25, 1991) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the women's Strawweight and Flyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is a ...

on September 7, 2024 at

UFC Fight Night 242 ''UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Brady'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 242'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 100'', and ''UFC Vegas 97'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 7, 2024, at the UF ...

. She won the fight by unanimous decision. This fight earned her a '' Fight of the Night'' award. Silva faced former flyweight champion

Alexa Grasso Karen Alexa Grasso Montes (born August 9, 1993) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist who competes in the women's Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is a former UFC Women's Flyweight Champion. Gr ...

UFC 315 ''UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 10, 2025, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background The event marked the promotion's ...

on May 10, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She won the fight by unanimous decision.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** Fight of the Night (One time) ** Performance of the Night (One time) ** Third longest win streak in UFC Women's Flyweight division history (7) ** Highest striking differential in UFC Women's Flyweight division history (2.84) ** Highest takedown defense percentage in UFC Women's Flyweight division history (91.7%) **UFC.com Awards *** 2022: Ranked #7 Newcomer of the Year *

Jungle Fight Jungle Fight is a Brazilian mixed martial arts and kickboxing promotion. It was created in 2003. The name is derived from its origin, the Amazonas state in Brazil. History Jungle Fight was founded by pioneering MMA fighter and long-time Brazi ...

**Jungle Fight Women's Flyweight Championship (One time) ***One successful title defense

Mixed martial arts record

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Marina Rodriguez Marina Alcalde Rodriguez (born April 29, 1987) is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist. She competed in the women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), achieving an 8-5 record, with 2 draws in the promotion. ...

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Silva, Natalia 1997 births Living people Flyweight mixed martial artists Brazilian female mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters Brazilian female taekwondo practitioners Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners 21st-century Brazilian sportswomen