Janaina Silva Record: 5-1-0

Building the unbeaten run

The heart of Silva's career came across a busy 2021. She knocked out Sarah Filipini in the first round at Thunder Fight 27, then handed the previously unbeaten Jhenifer Menezes (5-0) her first loss by decision at Thunder Fight 30, a quietly impressive scalp. She closed the year with a second-round knockout of Claudia Alves at Thunder Fight 32. A scheduled meeting with Alexia Thainara in July 2022 fell through, but she stayed active, returning that November to outpoint Nayara Hemily by decision at LFA 146 to move to 5-0 and put herself squarely on the UFC's radar.

Contender Series test

Silva's bid to fight her way onto the UFC roster came on Dana White's Contender Series in August 2023 against the unbeaten Brazilian standout Eduarda Moura, then 8-0. It proved the toughest night of her career and the first blemish on her record: Moura, a slick grappler who would go on to the UFC, finished her by first-round rear-naked choke. The loss snapped Silva's unbeaten run, but it came against one of the division's most promising young prospects.

Fighting style

Silva is a pressure-oriented strawweight whose results split between the scorecards and the highlight reel. Three of her five wins have come by decision and two by knockout, a 40% finish rate that reflects a fighter comfortable banking rounds but capable of ending a fight with her hands when the opening appears. Her best win, the decision over the unbeaten Jhenifer Menezes, showed her ability to outwork a rising prospect over three rounds. The Contender Series loss to Moura exposed her vulnerability against an elite submission grappler, the area most likely to define how far she climbs from here.

Career highlights

• Five-fight unbeaten start — opened her professional career 5-0 across Brazil's regional circuit before her first loss.
• Beat an unbeaten prospect — handed the 5-0 Jhenifer Menezes her first defeat by decision at Thunder Fight 30.
• Contender Series competitor — earned a Dana White's Contender Series spot opposite unbeaten future UFC fighter Eduarda Moura.