Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva is our prediction for UFC Vegas 97 Fight of the Night

As a seasoned gamer of MMA fights, I’ve witnessed my fair share of battles, but few have captivated me like the upcoming showdown between Jessica Andrade and Natalia Silva at UFC Vegas 97. With a career spanning over a decade, Andrade has proven time and again that she is a force to be reckoned with. Her journey from bantamweight to strawweight was a gamble that paid off, earning her the UFC strawweight championship in a thrilling main event at UFC 237. However, her reign as champion was short-lived, and since then, she’s been on a rollercoaster ride, bouncing between divisions and enduring highs and lows.

Following a week’s hiatus, UFC action resumes this coming Saturday with UFC Vegas 97 taking place at the UFC APEX. The main event features a potential welterweight thriller between former title contender Gilbert Burns and rising prospect Sean Brady. Nevertheless, it’s important to highlight another bout that stands out: the co-main event featuring former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade and rapidly ascending fighter Natalia Silva.

At this stage, it’s common knowledge that Andrade consistently delivers intense, action-packed combat. Starting her journey in the bantamweight division, she swiftly asserted herself as a diminutive but tenacious pit bull, relishing in ending fights prematurely, typically via technical or knockout.

2013 saw her earn a contract with UFC due to her notorious reputation. In her initial Octagon match, she faced Liz Carmouche as her title contender. The size difference was evident and Andrade found herself overpowered, ending the fight within two rounds. However, she managed to win her next three bouts. What stood out was that these victories were her first where she had gone the distance. Against future champion Raquel Pennington, she narrowly escaped with a split decision.

In 2015, she ended up with a record of 1-2, with a decision win against Sarah Moras sandwiched between submission losses to Marion Reneau and Pennington. Her struggles with size in the bantamweight division were evident, so she decided to make a change. Just a month after her loss to Pennington, Andrade declared her intention to move down to the emerging strawweight division. Initially, she had considered such a shift as too challenging when speaking to MMA Fighting before her submission victory over Larissa Pacheco, but her recent string of tough matches seemed to have influenced her decision.

The transition was as effortless as her initial weight loss of 20 pounds, and former title contender Jessica Penne put up minimal opposition throughout the fight. In fact, the referee had to intervene midway through the second round due to her lack of resistance.

After Joanne Calderwood’s submission and the verdict on Angela Hill, Andrade was praised as the most formidable contender against the dominant champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk. However, at UFC 211, the relentless fighter in her seemed to vanish. She was constantly blocked, outmaneuvered, and countered, resulting in a one-sided unanimous decision loss. Even a victory by split decision over fellow Brazilian and former title challenger Claudia Gadelha didn’t boost my chances for a rematch much. But then something unexpected transpired.

At UFC 217, Rose Namajunas unexpectedly dethroned Joanna Jedrzejczyk as champion, leaving the division up for grabs. Several potential challengers, including Andrade, were given credible claims to take the next shot at the title. However, the UFC, still in shock from the result, arranged an immediate rematch that Namajunas ultimately won. This setback didn’t deter Andrade, who beat Tecia Torres on points and knocked out Karolina Kowalkiewicz to earn her second title opportunity – as the main event at UFC 237 in Brazil. This time, she was determined not to miss out, winning the belt by slamming her opponent off a kimura counter.

Unfortunately, her rule didn’t last long. The UFC Shenzhen event required a main act, and she agreed to defend against Weili Zhang who was rapidly rising in fame. She was defeated within the opening minute of the fight. Almost a year later, she suffered a loss against Namajunas, marking the first time she had consecutive defeats in her career.

WMMA is on display with Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva on UFC Vegas 97

Unwavering, Andrade pushed 10 pounds northwards to face Katlyn Chookagian and secured a brutal KO victory via powerful body punches. This triumph earned her an instant title challenge against Valentina Shevchenko. However, the encounter did not turn out favorably – she struggled early on and was ultimately overwhelmed, with elbows sealing her fate in the second round.

After that point, her journey has taken her through both strawweight and flyweight divisions, marked by periods of remarkable victories (such as defeating Amanda Lemos using the first standing arm-triangle submission in UFC history) and disheartening losses (sustaining three consecutive defeats in 2023). This week, following two back-to-back wins at strawweight, she is moving up a weight class again to face Silva, who has been rapidly climbing the ranks.

Starting off in MMA back in 2015, Silva faced a rocky start, losing three out of her initial four bouts. However, she improved slightly in the years 2016 and 2017, with a record of 5 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, even suffering a defeat against Marina Rodriguez who later became a top UFC strawweight contender. Since then, her performance has been exceptional as she’s won an impressive streak of 11 consecutive fights.

After bagging two more victories, I’m gearing up for the most significant win of my career so far, a triumph that could potentially catapult me into the championship discussion. However, it won’t be a walk in the park. Andrade is determined to make one final title run, either at 115 or 125, and I know keeping this seasoned veteran at bay will be no easy feat. But, if I can hold my ground against another promising contender, it will only strengthen my case for a shot at the title.

2024-09-03 23:12

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