LAS VEGAS — Natalia Silva may be the next woman up in a competitive women’s strawweight division after knocking off multi-time former champion Rose Namajunas on the main card of UFC 324 on Saturday night. Silva managed to outlast Namajunas to take a unanimous decision from T-Mobile Arena.
The fight was competitive from the start, with Namajunas having success early in the opening round while Silva appeared to still be trying to find her range. Eventually, Silva was able to find a comfortable rhythm, allowing her to open up with her strikes and force Namajunas onto the back foot more frequently.
Namajunas managed to turn things around in the second round, primarily due to a single takedown. Both women grappled in a body lock against the Octagon until Namajunas was able to score the trip takedown. While on her back, Silva looked lost on how to work back to standing, instead offering up a single armbar attempt that was easily defended.
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With the fight likely hanging in the balance in Round 3, it was Silva who came out fired up and aggressive. Silva used movement to draw Namajunas forward, where Silva was able to connect with blitzes of punches. Namajunas remained competitive but was losing the majority of exchanges before Silva also scored a hip toss takedown to briefly put Namajunas on her back.
In the end, the three official scorecards all read 29-28 in favor of Silva. With the win, Silva picked up her third consecutive win over a former UFC champion and likely cemented a title shot at division champion Valentina Shevchenko.
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