Mayra Bueno Silva down for UFC fight with teammate Kayla Harrison: ‘We fight for free in the gym’
Mayra Bueno Silva wants to reinsert herself in the bantamweight title picture with a win over Macy Chiasson at UFC 303 this Saturday in Las Vegas, and knows she could be on a collision course with teammate Kayla Harrison.
Silva occasionally trains with the two-time Olympic champion Harrison at American Top Team in Florida, and feels that beating Chiasson at UFC 303 is the perfect opportunity rebound from a title loss to Raquel Pennington in January and show “that I own this division.” Harrison is also campaigning for a shot at gold after dominating and finishing Holly Holm in her UFC debut this past April, and “Sheetara” believes they could end up facing each other inside the octagon down the line.
“If we have to unfortunately fight each other, Kayla and I, it’s part of the game,” Silva told MMA Fighting. “We’re both professionals and there would be no problem. We fight for free in the gym, imagine with them paying. [Laughs.] We haven’t talked about it because it’s hard. We laugh together, we have fun, we help each other if we need, but we know in our hearts that if I win Saturday, there’s a real possibility this happens.”
“Most of our coaches are the same, so we would have a huge problem in our hands,” she added. “But honestly, I’m not thinking about it at the moment. Kayla isn’t thinking about it either. I have to once again prove that I deserve it. Kayla has done it, she went in there and proved she deserves it. In order for that to happen, I have a gigantic 5’11” problem in front of me named Macy Chiasson that I have to face Saturday.”
Silva earned a shot at UFC gold by beating Holm in July 2023, a victory that was later overturned to a no-contest due to a positive drug test caused by TDAH medication. The Brazilian bantamweight admits her most recent performance versus Pennington was “very bad” and vows to impress Saturday. In doing so, she hopes to give UFC CEO Dana White doubts as to who should be next in line for the belt.
“It’s going to be a very hard fight because [Chiasson] is very lengthy and tall and she moves well, but I see myself as the superior fighter in every aspect of the fight,” Silva said. “I’m not being cocky or any of that, I’m just confident that I’ve worked really hard and know I’m better than her everywhere. But I think it’s a fight that gives me difficulties because it’s almost she has a nine-inch reach advantage. I’ve never faced this before, so it’s going to be a new challenge for me.”
“The dream scenario for me is a submission win, but I’m so ready for this fight,” she continued. “My team did everything we had to do to come out with my hands raised. Regardless of the outcome, if it’s a decision, a submission, or a knockout, we’re ready to fight in all areas to come out with my hands raised. But, to me, a submission would be perfect.”