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Fighters On The Rise | UFC 292: Sterling vs O'Malley
Three Can't-Miss Combatants To Watch For On Saturday's Boston Event
Every year, there are a couple pay-per-view events where emerging competitors have breakout moments on the undercard, putting together strong efforts before the more prominent names step into the Octagon and grab hold of the spotlight.
Featured below are three athletes that have the opportunity to do the same thing — ascending competitors that have turned in outstanding efforts over their last couple appearances and feel poised to really make a push forward with big efforts this weekend.
They may be more than a year away from title contention, but all three look capable of reaching those heights at some point in the not too distant future, and UFC 292 should be a catalyst for greater exposure and recognition going forward.
These are the Fighters on the Rise for UFC 292.
Ian Machado Garry
Heralded as one of the top prospects in the sport when he touched down in the UFC with an unbeaten record and the Cage Warriors welterweight title in tow, Machado Garry has justified the hype and worked his way into the Top 15 in less than three years, setting up a massive opportunity in Boston this weekend.
"The Future" had a relatively quiet 2022, by his own standards, garnering a pair of unanimous decision wins that elevated his record to 10-0 and brought 30 minutes of additional Octagon experience before he and his wife welcomed their first child together. Since returning to action this year, the 25-year-old standout has cranked it up a notch of two, posting a pair of stoppage victories over Song Kenan and Daniel Rodriguez to run his winning streak to a dozen and land a number next to his name.
How to Watch Dana White's Contender Series
Rangy and fundamentally sound, Garry has all the tools to be a championship contender in the 170-pound ranks and a superstar in the UFC. Inside and outside of the Octagon, he looks the part, but now comes the tough part: taking on the best fighters on the planet.
Originally paired off with Geoff Neal, Machado Garry shares the cage with the man he asked for following his last victory — divisional stalwart Neil Magny — this weekend.
Magny holds the record for the most wins in welterweight division history and has built a career competing in fights like this, serving as the veteran litmus test for those with Top 10 ambitions. He has outstanding conditioning, a long jab, and a high output rate, all of which are new challenges Machado Garry will be dealing with for the first time.
This is a critical matchup and potential breakthrough opportunity for the Irishman, who has looked tremendous in his first two 2023 appearances. If he can dial up something similar in Boston on Saturday, the TD Garden is going to erupt and Machado Garry will be looking for a marquee opportunity — and perhaps a main event pairing — next time out.
Natalia Silva
Here’s all you need to know about why you should be paying close attention to Silva heading into her clash with Andrea Lee this weekend in Boston:
The 26-year-old Brazilian dominated Jasmine Jasudavicius last summer after more than two years on the sidelines, and has since followed up that effort with consecutive impressive stoppage victories to run her winning streak to nine.
Currently unranked, Silva has shown the skills to be a Top 10 fighter in the flyweight division, boasting excellent speed and diversity with her striking, and the kind of finishing abilities and instincts that are somewhat rare in the female ranks. Maybe it’s that people get thrown off by her five losses and one draw in 21 career appearances, but a deeper examination of her resume shows that she made her pro debut at 18 years old, went 3-4-1 in her first eight fights, and has gone 12-1 since, with her lone setback coming against Top 15 fixture Marina Rodriguez at the tail end of 2017.
How To Watch UFC 292: Sterling vs O'Malley
Silva profiles as one of those fighters that is going to suddenly surprise a number of observers, and this matchup with Lee is a perfect opportunity for her to showcase her skills and break through.
While Lee is coming off consecutive setbacks, the 34-year-old veteran is a divisional stalwart that has only lost to Top 15 competition, and has the kind of well-rounded skill set and high-end experience that make her the perfect next test for the streaking Brazilian.
Silva being outside of the rankings at the moment feels like a combination of her having faced lesser-known opposition in her last two and Jasudavicius earning an impressive win more recently, having toppled Miranda Maverick at UFC 289 in June. But with a victory over Lee this weekend in Boston and a tenth consecutive win overall, Silva should crack the Top 15 and grab the attention of the folks that haven’t started to pay attention just quite yet.
Karine Silva
Karine Silva's Guillotine Submission | Dana White's Contender Series Free Fight
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Karine Silva's Guillotine Submission | Dana White's Contender Series Free Fight
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Natalia isn’t the only Silva that has been making waves in the flyweight division and ready to take that to another level this weekend in Boston.
A graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series (Class of ’21), Silva followed up her contract-earning victory at the UFC APEX with consecutive first-round submission wins to begin her UFC tenure. In her debut, she was comfortable standing and trading with compatriot Poliana Botelho for much of the opening stanza before quickly locking up a D’Arce choke after landing an overhand right and driving through it for the takedown. Earlier this year in her sophomore outing, Silva was able to put fellow Brazilian Ketlen Souza on the canvas in under 30 seconds, and finished the contest in under two minutes, initially looking for the D’Arce choke before dropping back, attacking, and finishing a kneebar to run her winning streak to seven.
Silva has earned finishes in each of her 16 career victories and looks to maintain that streak while seeking to avenge her first career loss in this clash with Moroz at UFC 292.
The two first met on November 1, 2014, with Moroz, then 23, securing a first-round submission win over the 21-year-old Silva. That win punched Moroz’s ticket to the UFC, and since returning to the flyweight ranks, the American Top Team representative has posted a 3-1 mark with wins over Sabina Mazo, Mayra Bueno Silva, and Mariya Agapova.
Both women are currently positioned outside of the rankings, and a victory won’t necessarily guarantee Silva ends up with a number next to her name following her business trip to Boston this week, but a third consecutive victory — especially with a third consecutive finish — would ensure that she garners another step up in competition next time out and that more folks will be paying close attention to her going forward.
UFC 292: Sterling vs O'Malley took place live from TD Garden in Boston on August 19, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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