Karine Silva

Karine Silva de Almeida (born December 2, 1993) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of July 16, 2024, she is #11 in the UFC women's flyweight rankings.

Background
With minimal financial resources, Silva took the daring step of leaving her job to move into a martial arts academy. Despite lacking support from her family, both morally and financially, she persevered. Working odd jobs, from security guard to masseuse and receptionist, she hustled to sustain herself while immersing herself in martial arts training.

Silva's venture into the world of combat sports began with "Chinese boxing," eventually transitioning to mixed martial arts. At 19, she made her professional debut, although she hadn't initially planned on pursuing a career in the sport. Driven by her newfound passion, she abandoned school, family, and job to fully commit to her training. Her journey took a significant turn when she joined a team that offered comprehensive training in various disciplines like luta livre, wrestling, MMA, and muay Thai.

Early career
Silva's early career had primarily unfolded in Brazil, except for an ill-fated venture to Russia. During her early years, she dominated under the Aspera Fighting Championship banner, capturing six wins and headlining AFC 20 with a first-round armbar victory over Leticia Oliveira Ribeiro. Her only loss came against fellow future UFC fighter Maryna Moroz at XFC International 7 on November 1, 2014, being submitted via armbar in the first round. She would go on to win her next 4 bouts via stoppage, however, her international debut ended in defeat, as Marina Mokhnatkina submitted her with a kneebar at Fight Nights Global 81: Matmuratov vs. Ignatiev in December 2017.

She would go on to lose her next bout via unanimous decision to Dione Barbosa after a two year layoff, Silve started building momentum by dropping down back to flyweight and knocking out Vitoria Ferreira in August 2019. Silva embarked on a five-fight winning streak that positioned her for her shot at making the UFC.

Her chance came against Qihui Yan on Dana White's Contender Series 45, where she displayed her defensive prowess in the first round by thwarting Yan's attempts and even landing shots from the bottom. In the second round, Silva turned the tide with offensive aggression. She capitalized on an opportunity, executing a flawless guillotine choke that compelled Yan to tap, sealing her victory at 1:44 into Round 2.

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Silva made her promotional debut against Poliana Botelho on June 4, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 207. She won the fight via a brabo choke in round one. This win earned her the Performance of the Night award.

In her sophomore performance, Silva faced Invicta Champion Ketlen Souza on June 3, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 46. She won the fight by kneebar submission in the first round.

Silva rematched Maryna Moroz on August 19, 2023, at UFC 292. She won the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the first round.

Silva faced Ariane Lipski on April 27, 2024 at UFC on ESPN 55. She won the fight by unanimous decision.

Mixed martial arts

 * Ultimate Fighting Championship
 * Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Poliana Botelho