Jacqueline Cavalcanti can now be considered a legitimate contender in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight scene following her victory over former title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC Vegas 111.
Silva seemed to be slow on the trigger during the bout’s opening round, as Cavalcanti established control with her jab and leg kicks. She turned up the pace in the second round, mixing up her striking while also working in the clinch.
Cavalcanti’s boxing was on full display by the time the third round arrived, and there, she managed to walk down and pressure Bueno Silva with her striking, doing damage around her face, as she went on to take the scorecards.
Jacqueline Cavalcanti Bests Mayra Bueno Silva At UFC Vegas 111
They should give Cavalcanti a top-5 opponent next.
She’s under 30 and has a style that will give everyone in the division fits.
Why do I have to say this every week on the podcast? “You can’t win a fight if you don’t throw punches” Cavalcanti looks good but Bueno Silva just won’t throw. Her coaches have to be so frustrated with her
I think Cavalcanti is really good!! She just needs the confidence to let her hands go a bit more because she's actually got all the fundamentals #UFCVegas111
Something is wrong with Bueno Silva. I've never seen her look timid like this. Credit goes to Cavalcanti but MBS came in not looking like she had good energy. #UFCVegas111
Cavalcanti is now 10-1 as a pro, including a 5-0 run in the UFC since her September 2023 Octagon debut. She has won eight consecutive fights overall.
Bueno Silva has now lost four straight since falling short in a women’s bantamweight title fight with Raquel Pennington at UFC 297. She is also winless in her last five, as her 2023 win over Holly Holm was overturned to a no contest.
Jasmine Jasudavicius continues to come into her own, coming out on top in a historic bout against former title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva on the preliminary card of UFC Saudi Arabia.
The fight made promotional history in that it was the first women’s UFC bout to take place in the country.
It was all-around domination from Jasudavicius, who completely outstruck Bueno Silva in the first round and turned a takedown into nearly three minutes of control time — despite having to shove off a submission attempt from “Sheetara.”
Jasudavicius continued to outstrike Bueno Silva and scored another pair of takedown attempts over the next two rounds, combining for over four minutes more of control time, en route to sweeping the judges’ scorecards.
Jasmine Jasudavicius Dominates Inaugural Women’s UFC Fight In Saudi Arabia
I really like Jasmine. Laura is right, she's a bit of a dark horse in the division #UFCSaudiArabia
Stay viscous! Jasmine Jasudavicius dominates her way to the u decision over Mayra Silva in the first ever women’s bout at #UFCSaudiArabia. I’m always impressed by Jasmine’s ground control, one of octagons favorites. That’s 4 straight wins for her and perhaps a top 10 ranking next
Jasudavicius has now won four straight and six of her last seven, with her sole loss coming against Tracy Cortez at the original Noche UFC event.
Bueno Silva, meanwhile, is 0-3 (1 NC) in her last four. That run includes three straight losses, beginning with her vacant bantamweight title fight loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC 297 early last year.
Former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva is heading back down to 125 pounds.
Bueno Silva (10-4-1, 1 NC) went 2-2-1 in her first stint as a flyweight in the UFC, defeating Gillian Robertson and Mara Romero Borella but suffering defeats to Maryna Moroz and Manon Fiorot. She subsequently shifted to 135 pounds and enjoyed strong success, going undefeated all the way to a shot at the then-vacant title at UFC 297 this past January.
But after missing out on achieving champion status against Raquel Pennington, “Sheetara” fell to her first UFC losing skid when a severe cut was deemed too deep for her to continue against Macy Chiasson at UFC 303 during International Fight Week this past June.
That news was first reported by Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight, who also revealed that Bueno Silva will immediately shoot for the 125-pound rankings against Jasmine Jasudavicius (12-3).
Jasudavicius has risen to #13 on the flyweight ladder courtesy of three straight wins since a defeat to Tracy Cortez in September 2023. The Canadian defeated Fatima Kline by decision in-between two home wins over Priscila Cachoeira and Ariane Lipski da Silva this year.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1, 2025 are as follows:
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (heavyweight)
Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz (middleweight)
Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (women’s flyweight)
Mayra Bueno Silva lost to Macy Chiasson at UFC 303 after the cageside doctor stopped the fight due to a deep cut above her left eyebrow. Although the Brazilian was keen to continue fighting, Chiasson was handed the TKO win.
As Chiasson began celebrating her International Fight Week victory, “Sheetara” hopped the cage and rushed to talk to Dana White. While still dripping in blood from the cut, she seemed to complain about the stoppage and the UFC CEO naturally had no control over the situation.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has now punished Silva for jumping over the cage at UFC 303, withholding a portion of her purse.
Mayra Bueno Silva Facing Fined For Jumping Over The Cage At UFC 303
MMA Junkie’s Nolan King reported on X that the NSAC has temporarily cut $2,500 from Bueno Silva’s UFC 303 purse, which amounts to $100,000. Jumping over the Octagon is banned for safety reasons, even though fighters often ignore this rule in the rush of winning a fight.
King also stated that the women’s bantamweight contender might be asked to pay a fine, which will be determined at the commission’s meeting on August 27.
Silva will be on the agenda for the Aug 27 meeting, where a fine might be determined.
If Bueno Silva ends up being fined, she would join Diego Lopes on the list of those recently punished. He had to pay $2,500 for jumping over the cage after his UFC 300 win over Sodiq Yusuff. The commission originally withheld $5,000 from his purse, and Bueno Silva’s sailing on a similar boat.
Unsurprisingly, Bueno Silva’s penalty has received a mixed response in MMA circles. Some fans have called out the commission for not being equally strict about fouls that happen during fights.
Suspensions and fines for actions beyond fighting are fairly common in the UFC. The most prominent example is Arman Tsarukyan, the #1-ranked UFC lightweight contender, who is currently facing a six-month suspension for punching a fan while walking out at UFC 300.
UFC 302 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering.
The promotion was in Newark, New Jersey, last week, where the Prudential Center played host to a number of intriguing matchups. Of note were victories for UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev, former middleweight kingpin Sean Strickland, the always entertaining Kevin Holland, and heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida.
While the aftermath of the June 1 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the current crop of elite lightweights to one of the division’s former champs.
At UFC 303, set for Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on June 29, former two-division UFC titleholder Conor McGregor will make the walk for the first time since suffering a gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
Hill, Ulberg, Garry, Page Set The Stage For McGregor Headliner At UFC 303
Before “The Notorious” Irishman makes his long-awaited comeback in the main event, a number of high-profile names will take to the Octagon looking to make the post of their position on the major card.
After the two elite strikers open the main card, Joe Pyfer and Mayra Bueno Silva will look to bounce back from their defeats earlier this year. After a main event loss to Jack Hermansson, “Bodybagz” is tasked with getting the better of veteran Canadian Marc-André Barriault. “Sheetara,” meanwhile, must rebound at the expense of Macy Chiasson months on from an unsuccessful challenge for the vacant bantamweight gold against Raquel Pennington.
Then, setting the stage for McGregor vs. Chandler in the co-main event will be former light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill. “Sweet Dreams” is making a quick turnaround following his knockout loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 300. He’ll share the cage with the charging Carlos Ulberg, who is stepping in as a short-notice replacement for Khalil Rountree.
See below for the full UFC 303 card, as it stands.
Main Card:
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler (welterweight main event)
Jamahal Hill vs. Carlos Ulberg (light heavyweight co-main event)
Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson (women’s bantamweight)
