Mayra Bueno Silva responds to Julianna Pena's dismissal with confidence.
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Following her impressive upset submission victory over former champion Holly Holm at UFC Vegas 77, Mayra Bueno Silva had a clear message for Julianna Pena. While Pena had dismissed Silva’s achievements and told her to “get in line,” Silva responded with a mixture of amusement and determination.
Upon hearing Pena’s comments, Silva laughed and made it clear that she believes Pena is scared. With a confident tone, she stated, “I love you Julianna, but I will smash you. I will smash you… Look at my fight. Look at your fight. Who won? Ah, Julianna, shut up.”
Pena, who had hoped for a trilogy with Amanda Nunes before the former champion’s retirement, expressed her willingness to face both Silva and Raquel Pennington on the same night. Pennington currently ranked No. 2 in the UFC’s rankings, is considered a top contender for the bantamweight title.
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Silva responded to Pena’s statement with deadpan humor, remarking that nobody watched Pena’s fight. Her comment elicited laughter from reporters at the post-fight press conference.
With her victory over Holm, Silva once again proved herself to be a rising star in the bantamweight division. She has now won four consecutive fights, with her only losses coming in flyweight contests against Manon Fiorot and Maryna Moroz. Throughout her career, Silva has earned four performance bonuses, further solidifying her status as an exciting fighter to watch.
Expressing her happiness after the fight, Silva attributed her success to her faith in God. She shared, “God told me, ‘Hey, you win this fight.’ I believe too much in God. This week, I was afraid of Holly every day. I cried too much. I didn’t believe in myself in this fight. But when I won…what? I won! This was in my mind.”
Regarding a potential matchup with Pena, who is returning from a rib injury that led to Irene Aldana stepping in for Nunes’ retirement fight, Silva exuded confidence in her abilities. While expressing respect for Pena, Silva made it clear that she fully believes she will come out victorious, stating, “Julianna, I respect you, but I will smash you.”
For more UFC news and updates
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