A Journey of Discovery

Nothing stalls progress like injuries and inactivity. Ask Mayra Bueno Silva, a woman who missed all of 2019 and has yet to compete more than twice in a calendar year.

Silva will once again try to put her best foot forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division when she collides with Stephanie Egger as part of the UFC on ESPN 40 undercard this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The 30-year-old Brazilian believes she has addressed the issues that have long plagued her.

“Thankfully, all those problems have been resolved,” Silva told Sherdog.com. “We figured out what was causing my injuries. I prefer to be fighting more frequently. It’s what I enjoy doing. I hope to have three or even four fights per year going forward.”

The showdown with Egger serves as her second assignment of 2022, as Silva took a three-round unanimous decision from Yanan Wu at UFC on ESPN 34 in April. She has left the familiar haunts of the Chute Boxe affiliate where she once trained on good terms, having arrived at the conclusion that the status quo was no longer working for her.

“I left my old coaches,” she said. “I don’t like to keep studying someone else’s game. I prefer to train as if I was fighting for the belt. When I step into the Octagon, I feel like I’m already the champion. I train in every area, and I don’t worry about what my opponent brings. I’m only concerned with what I bring. All that’s left is to put on a show. I wanted to have a team dedicated to me.”

Silva did not set out on her own. She still trains alongside girlfriend and stablemate Gloria de Paula but now operates under Thiago Gaia—a Marco Barbosa-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt—in Brentwood, California.

“He’s been working with us for years,” Silva said. “We fully trust him, so we put our careers in his hands.”

Egger, who competed in Invicta Fighting Championships and the Rizin Fighting Federation prior to linking arms with the UFC, does not figure to be an easy hurdle to clear. The Swiss grappler enters the cage on the strength of a two-fight winning streak. Egger, 33, last appeared at UFC Fight Night 201, where she submitted Jessica-Rose Clark with an armbar in the first round of their Feb. 19 encounter.

“I’m mostly concerned with putting on a great show,” Silva said. “I want to bring excitement to the fans. That’s what I enjoy. I just show up and have fun. I train as hard as I can. The result is in God’s hands.”