Las Vegas — For the first time since her failed bid for women’s bantamweight gold at UFC 297 in Toronto, Mayra Bueno Silva enters the octagon this Saturday, facing TUF 28 winner Macy Chiasson.
Coming up short in a title bid in never optimal, but “Sheetara” found a silver lining in her loss to Raquel Pennington, who claimed the vacant 135lb belt that night in Toronto.
“I think lessons can be extracted from this. I think the people saw that I am the best in the world, because I was able to actually neutralize and keep her at bay in that first round,” Silva told media outlets including Cageside Press during Wednesday’s UFC 303 media day. “As everybody knows, I had an injury starting in the second round. So when I was 100%, she wasn’t able to do anything, and that’s the lesson I can take out of it.”
The roughly six months between fights don’t appear to have dampened Bueno Silva’s spirits any. “I know I am the best in the world. My mind is okay, my heart’s okay. Saturday, I promise to give a show for everybody. I promise.”
On Chiasson, Mayra Bueno Silva suggested that “she is longer, she moves a lot but she don’t have nothing for me. I will finish her.” And with the right outcome, the Brazilian believes she can get another shot at gold.
“I believe I am next because I finish my fights. I have a lot of Performance of the Night, I have a lot of Fight of the Night [bonuses]. No one exists in this division, nobody like me. I am the best.”
The suggestion of a fight with American Top Team teammate Kayla Harrison was also brought up Wednesday. While some fighters might have an issue facing someone they train with, Bueno Silva sounds good to go.
“When this thing happens, we’ll talk about it. But we don’t have a problem about that because we are professionals.”
Watch the full UFC 303 media day appearance by Mayra Bueno Silva above.
