Mayra Bueno Silva explains Raquel Pennington callout: 'Sometimes, you need to talk bullsh*t'

LAS VEGAS – Mayra Bueno Silva wasted no time when the microphone was in front of her after her UFC Fight Night 219 win.

During her in-cage interview, Silva (10-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) showed off her improving English skills with a callout of former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger Raquel Pennington (15-8 MMA, 12-8 UFC).

The callout, Silva clarified during a post-fight news conference with reporters, including MMA Junkie, was rooted in two things: necessity and respect.

“I don’t know. Sometimes, you need to talk bullsh*t for good fights,” Silva said. “Then I thought of Raquel Pennington because I love Raquel Pennington. I love her style. In the UFC, in this division, now I’m top 10, I believe. In the top 10, every fight is difficult. Every fighter is good. Then I think Miesha (Tate) and me. I think, ‘Let’s go.’ But I don’t know if Miesha is good for a fight in three months. I (thought) she’s hurt. Then I thought, Raquel Pennington doesn’t have a fight. If UFC wants, I want because Raquel is a very, very good, dangerous fighter.”

Silva, 31, extended her winning streak to three Saturday when she slickly submitted Lina Lansberg with a kneebar late in Round 2. The win she hopes at minimum gets her on the radar of top contenders, like Pennington.

“She doesn’t know I exist,” Silva laughed. “I think she doesn’t know I exist, but I’m here. … If she don’t know, now she knows.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 219.