Natalia Silva expects her teammate Paulo Costa to attain a press release win in his return combat in opposition to Robert Whittaker. “Borrachinha” meets the previous champion on Feb. 17 within the co-main occasion of UFC 298 in Anaheim, Calif., and Silva sees Costa scoring his first knockout end since a 2018 drubbing of Uriah Hall.
“If I have been going to place my cash on it,” Silva stated on MMA Preventing’s Trocação Franca podcast, “I consider in a victory by knockout.”
Silva, who competes this Saturday reverse fellow Brazilian flyweight Viviane Araujo at UFC Vegas 85, is wanting ahead to Costa’s return after a number of combat cancellations.
Costa has solely competed twice within the UFC since difficult Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title in Abu Dhabi again in September 2020, dropping to Marvin Vettori in a catchweight contest earlier than rebounding with a choice win over Luke Rockhold, the latter of which came about greater than 17 months in the past.
“Everyone is anxious to see him again,” Silva stated. “Paulo is a really sturdy athlete and all the time places on good fights, so we’re all the time anticipating the most effective. I’m rooting for him, and looking out ahead to seeing him again. Sadly, he suffered an damage final time and couldn’t combat.”
Costa was slated to face bitter rival Khamzat Chimaev in October 2023 however needed to withdraw from UFC 294 simply days earlier than the Abu Dhabi occasion resulting from an elbow an infection.
“He was tremendous excited for that combat so it was a really tough second for him,” Silva stated. “He actually wished that combat. In actual fact, he was nonetheless keen to combat [despite the injury], however now he’s 100% once more. I consider it’s going to be an unbelievable combat.”
In the meantime, Silva appears for her fifth octagon victory when she meets Araujo on Saturday. Silva has gained 4 straight over a span of 14 months, with finishes of Tereza Bleda and Victoria Leonardo, and defeated Andrea Lee through determination in her most up-to-date look.
“[This fight] symbolizes one other step towards my aim of turning into champion,” Silva stated. “Viviane is a brilliant robust athlete and I’m joyful to have the ability to do that combat. I’ve educated so exhausting as a result of I do know it’s going to be a tricky combat. This victory will get me nearer to my aim, so it’s one other step for me. I do know it’s going to be a tricky combat, however I’m ready for it.”
Silva declined to foretell how she will get the job accomplished, however isn’t taking something as a right in opposition to an opponent like Araujo, who has misplaced three of her previous 5 UFC bouts.
“Once we go to a combat, the whole lot we’ve accomplished stays previously,” Silva stated. “All of your wins, all of your losses. We’re 0-0 in there, it’s a brand new recreation. I’ve educated and gave my all to win. If she’s underneath stress or not, I’m not occupied with that. I’m going there to combat, to point out the identical Natalia Silva that fights with all her coronary heart for the victory.”
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