The MMA Daily

We have a showdown in the Women’s Flyweight division, as Poliana Botelho takes on UFC newcomer Karine “Killer” Silva. A loser of two straight and three of the last four, Botelho comes into this fight urgently needing a victory. Fighting for the first time in 2022, Botelho will look to the new year to right the ship. Meanwhile, Silva comes into her UFC debut on a five-fight win streak. Known for her finishing prowess, Silva enters the octagon with all fourteen of her wins coming via stoppage. Only once in her eighteen fights, has Silva been to the scorecards.

Despite what the odds say, this is a difficult fight to predict. Botelho may be on a tough skid, but she has an overwhelming advantage on the feet. Armed with knockout power, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Botelho notch her seventh stoppage via strikes in this fight. However, Silva is a physically strong grappler. Always looking to get the fight to the mat, even pulling guard, Silva is dangerous on the ground. With five of her last eight victories coming via submission, it would be wise for Botelho to avoid the ground.

As for a prediction, I’m going with Silva. While I recognize the threat that Botelho offers on the feet, she has had issues avoiding being controlled. In the last two fights alone, Luana Carolina had nearly five and a half minutes of control time, while Robertson controlled Botelho for nine and a half minutes. Silva being the ground specialist that she is, can and will likely exploit this vulnerability. With that said, I predict that Silva will win via submission.