‘Sheetara’ chases major scalp

Mayra Bueno Silva will chase the biggest scalp of her MMA career to date when she faces Holly Holm in the women’s bantamweight main event of a UFC Fight Night at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 16 July 2023.

Bueno Silva (10-2) – known as ‘Sheetara’ – has racked up three straight wins in the past 15 months, defeating Wu Yanan (unanimous decision), Stephanie Egger and Lina Lansberg (both via submission) to move into the top 10 of the division rankings.

The 31-year-old Brazilian has far loftier ambitions, however, and believes that a win over an esteemed opponent such as Holm should put her in line for a shot at the title (which is vacant, following Amanda Nunes’ retirement last month).

“When I knock her out, I’m next for the belt,” Bueno Silva said. “The UFC fans need more respect. Nobody wants to watch Amanda and Julianna Pena anymore. The UFC fans need a new face. Mayra ‘Sheetara’ is the new face, and when I knock her out, I’m next for the belt.”

Bueno Silva acknowledged Holm’s improvement in terms of grappling and wrestling, but still backs herself to have the better of the exchanges regardless.

“Now she’s improved her game, she’s improved her grappling,” she noted. “I think it’s more grappling, but my grappling is better. I think she’ll touch me, touch me, and move, move, move. I think I will knock her out.”

Holm (15-6) is fresh from a unanimous decision win over Yana Santos in March and believes she has “been evolving” and will continue to pose a threat for a second spell as bantamweight champion – a title she first claimed in legendary circumstances in 2015 when she stopped Ronda Rousey.

“When I first started [MMA] it was, let’s just work on get-ups. I’ve definitely learned along the way; I’ve tried to keep it simple but capitalise on different aspects of all martial arts,” said the ‘Preacher’s Daughter’.

“The sport is evolving, but I was in boxing for 10 years and I was the young up and comer for a while and then I was the veteran for a while, and I feel like that’s how it is in MMA now.

“I’ve seen changes in it, and sometimes I think fighters can let it get in their head like, ‘Oh, I’m on the other end of it,’ just because there’s new fighters coming. I see it as new challenges. I’m still learning, and when I go to the gym, I still try to be a sponge and keep wanting to learn, as well.”

The rest of the main card features a middleweight match pitting Albert Duraev against Park Jun-yong; Walt Harris v Josh Parisian in the heavyweight division; Norma Dumont faces Chelsea Chandler in the women’s featherweight category; and a lightweight opener between Ottman Azaitar and Francisco Prado.

UFC Fight Night: Holm v Bueno Silva – Main card

- Main event: Women’s bantamweight: Holly Holm v Mayra Bueno Silva

- Middleweight: Albert Duraev v Park Jun-yong

- Heavyweight: Walt Harris v Josh Parisian

- Women’s featherweight: Norma Dumont v Chelsea Chandler

- Lightweight: Ottman Azaitar v Francisco Prado