The road Karine Silva traveled to the Ultimate Fighting Championship was not an easy one. In fact, it was littered with doubt, potential pitfalls and many restless nights.

“Early on, I only had my courage,” she told Sherdog.com. “I didn’t have any money. I used what little money I had after quitting my job to move into my academy. My family didn’t like the idea. I didn’t have their support, moral or financial. I quit my job at a sex shop to go live at the academy, and I had to learn how to teach martial arts. I also worked as a security guard at night clubs.

“I used to upkeep the academy to be able to live there,” Silva added. “Besides working as a security guard, I was occasionally a masseuse and worked as a receptionist at a gastro bar. Eventually, I quit those jobs so I could be fully dedicated to my training. During training breaks, I would sell candy at stop lights to be able to afford new gear. I had to find money somehow.”

After dabbling in “Chinese boxing,” Silva moved to mixed martial arts. She made her pro debut at the age of 19, suffering a knockout loss to Elaine Albuquerque at a Sparta MMA event in June 2013.

“I didn’t plan to become a professional,” Silva said. “I was only seeking a better quality of life. I barely knew the sport, but I fell in love with it, so here we are. Everything happened very quickly. I decided to leave school, family and my job behind. I went to live at my academy so I could be 100% dedicated. After my first pro fight, that’s when I started trying to learn about MMA. I ended up joining the same team as the girl I fought. There, they already had luta livre, wrestling, MMA and muay thai. I started learning a bit of everything. I ended up having two amateur bouts after my pro debut.”

Silva won 13 of her next 16 bouts, then punched her ticket to the UFC with a guillotine choke submission of Qihui Yan on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. She views it as an obvious turning point.

“It was one of my toughest fights,” Silva said. “It lights up my eyes when I watch it.”

The Gile Ribeiro Team representative took her first Octagon assignment at UFC Fight Night 207, where she dispatched Poliana Botelho with a brabo choke in the second round of their June 4 pairing. Nearly a year later, Silva returns to the stage to face former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Ketlen Souza in a UFC on ESPN 46 women’s flyweight showcase this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“I always keep an eye on my weight class,” she said. “My team and I sat down and put together the best strategy for my next bout. We’ll do what must be done to be victorious. I don’t have anything to say about my opponent. She deserves to be there, and I’m going to do my job.”