Four unranked fighters, including UFC newcomer Karine Silva, look to make statements in the women’s flyweight and strawweight divisions this weekend at UFC Fight Night 207.
In the 125-pound division, Poliana Botelho (8-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) looks to bounce back and crash Dana White Contender Series alum Karine Silva‘s (14-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) UFC welcome party on Saturday’s main card.
Also, two 115-pound veterans run it back a second time, both looking for a win after losing skids. Felice Herrig (14-9 MMA, 5-4 UFC) faces a familiar opponent in Karolina Kowalkiewicz (12-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC) in the rematch.
Both fights go down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
UFC Fight Night 207: Botelho vs. Silva
Both hailing from Brazil, Botelho and Silva are crossing paths at vastly different points in their respective MMA careers.
Botelho is looking for a rebound win to better her chances of staying with the UFC while Silva is just arriving at the promotion as a top South American prospect.
Silva’s last fight was a win on the highly-competitive Dana White’s Contender Series show where she secured a submission victory over Quhui Yan in the second round. The win last October earned her a UFC contract and a debut fight on any main card is a good, added bonus.
The 28-year-old Silva has previously fought for various Brazilian promotions including SFT and Cidade da Luta. She is currently on a five-fight win streak with almost all finishes. She hasn’t lost a bout since 2019.
Botelho is looking to get back in the win column after back-to-back losses over the last two years. She fought one time each in 2020 and 2021, losing by decision to Gillian Robertson and Luana Carolina.
The 33-year-old has UFC wins against Pearl Gonzalez, Syuri Kondo, and Lauren Mueller.
Both fighters are jiu-jitsu experts but Silva has proven it more in competition with five submission wins while Botelho’s finishes have all come by way of TKO.
Poliana Botelho | Karine Silva |
|
|---|---|---|
33 | Age | 28 |
5'8'' | Height | 5'5'' |
125 lbs | Weight | 125 lbs |
67 inches | Reach | 67 inches |
Luana Carolina: L (Dec.) | Last 5 | Qihiu Yan: W (Sub.) |
Gillian Robertson: L (Dec.) | Sidy Rocha: W (Sub.) | |
Lauren Mueller: W (Dec.) | Simone Da Silva: W (Sub.) | |
Cynthia Calvillo: L (Sub.) | Geovanna Eduarda: W | |
Syuri Kondo: W (TKO) | Vitoria Ferreira: W (TKO) |
Herrig vs Kowalkiewicz
Both UFC veterans since the mid-2010s, Herrig and Kowalkiewicz are looking for much-needed wins in a rematch from their first bout in 2018. Both women are also on long losing skids.
Herrig has lost three in a row since her last win in 2017. Those three losses came against Virna Jandiroba, Michelle Waterson, and Kowalkiewicz.
Meanwhile, the slightly-more-active Kowalkiewicz is on a five-fight losing streak. A win for her is essential to even have a chance of staying with the promotion. The former title challenger has gone 2-6 since losing her title bout against Joanna Jedrzejczyk back in 2016. That fight was Kowalkiewicz’s first career loss.
Herrig has notable UFC wins against Alexa Grasso, Cortney Casey, and Justine Kish while Kowalkiewicz has notable victories over Herrig, Rose Namajunas, and Randa Markos.
Both women have proven to be great, precise strikers throughout their careers. Herrig is a former kickboxer with a 23-5 record while Kowalkiewicz has trained extensively in Krav Maga and Muay Thai.
Most of their fights combined have gone to decisions with less than a half-dozen finishes between the two women.
Valentina Shevchenko | Talia Santos |
|
|---|---|---|
34 | Age | 28 |
5'5'' | Height | 5'6'' |
125 lbs | Weight | 125 lbs |
66.5 inches | Reach | 68 inches |
Lauren Murphy: W (TKO) | Last 5 | Joanne Wood: W (Sub.) |
Jessica Andrade: W (TKO) | Roxanne Modafferi: W (Dec.) | |
Jennifer Maia: W (Dec.) | Gillian Robertson: W (Dec.) | |
Katlyn Chookagian: W (TKO) | Molly McCann: W (Dec.) | |
Liz Carmouche: W (Dec.) | Mara Romero Borella: L (Dec.) |
