Sherdog Prospect Watch: Natalia Cristina da Silva

Sign up for ESPN+ and watch UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett



Natalia Cristina da Silva at UFC on ESPN 37 this Saturday in Austin, Texas, will join the ranks of countless Brazilian mixed martial artists who have competed under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner. The former Jungle Fight titleholder has been away from competition for almost three years, but the flyweight newcomer did not shy away when she was offered the opportunity to face Jasmine Jasudavicius as part of the undercard at the UFC Apex.

Cristina da Silva carries a 12-5-1 record into her promotional debut. The Team Borracha representative’s opponents sport a combined 69-49 (.585) record. Cristina da Silva has compiled a 9-1 mark across her past 10 assignments and currently rides an eye-catching six-fight winning streak, with all six victories resulting in submissions. She has not lost since she dropped a unanimous decision to Marina Rodriguez at Thunder Fight 14 on Dec. 16, 2017.


The Brazilian boasts 10 finishes—seven by submission and three by knockout or technical knockout. Out of her seven submission victories, six have come via armbar. Cristina da Silva delivered her fastest finish at a Fight Club MMA event in June 2019, when she put away Raquel Santiago with an armbar in just 40 seconds. Ironically, her worst career defeat also came via armbar, as she surrendered to Elaine Leal in 2:00 at a regional show in Brazil six-plus years ago.

Cristina da Silva was barely 18 years old when she made her professional debut, succumbing to second-round punches from Kenya Miranda da Silva inside the Fire Cage MMA organization on April 25, 2015. It was the beginning of an inauspicious start to her career, as she went 3-4-1 through her first eight appearances. After gaining some valuable experience on the Brazilian scene, Cristina da Silva started to pile up the dominant performances and resounding victories. The turning point was a first-round technical knockout of Carolina Oliveira at Patao Combat MMA 1 in 2016. From there, she delivered wins against the aforementioned Santiago, Simone Almeida da Silva and Kenia Stephani Santana, among others.

In her two most recent outings, Cristina da Silva captured and defended the Jungle Fight women’s flyweight championship. She submitted Gabriela Reis Marcal in the first round of their Jungle Fight 96 encounter on Oct. 19, 2019, then tapped Joice Mara da Silva in the fourth round of their Jungle Fight 100 pairing on Dec. 18, 2019. Both women were victimized by armbars. Now, Cristina da Silva gets the chance to showcase her skills in the UFC.