Natalia Silva went from sleeping in UFC gym to fighting for gold

Silva (20-5) is scheduled to face off Cong Wang
(10-1) left free
Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight title at
UFC 332 Oct. 3 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Ahead of his championship bout, Silva reflected on his journey to title contention and the struggles he has overcome.

Natalia Silva recalls living in her gym before earning a title shot at UFC 332

Silva credits his perseverance and belief in himself with helping him overcome adversity throughout his career. He recently revealed that he once lived in his gym and slept on a physiotherapy bed. The Brazilian admitted there were times she considered quitting mixed martial arts, but credits her faith and the people around her for helping her continue.

“I think what got me here was believing in myself and never giving up and continuing no matter what happens,” Silva told UFC. “No matter what I’ve done in my life and what I’ve accomplished, it’s always been a very difficult journey. I’ve been through a lot of trials. There were times when I had to live in the gym. I actually lived in a physical therapy room; I slept in a PT bed for a while. Things were never easy. And there were many moments when I thought I’d given up, I thought God had strengthened me… me with people who had a good word for me.

Silva is undefeated in eight UFC bouts, with his last three victories coming against each other Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso and Rose in Namajuna. At the same time, Wang is riding a four-game winning streak and taking the win Tracy Cortez.