Mayra Bueno Silva Claims Early Injury 'Took Me Out Of' Raquel Pennington Fight At UFC 297

According to Mayra Bueno Silva, an injury left her helpless against Raquel Pennington's offense for much of their bantamweight championship fight at UFC 297.

Bueno Silva had her charge toward the gold at 135 pounds comfortably halted by Pennington in last weekend's co-headliner at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena. The pair collided for the vacant belt, which had previously been relinquished by the retiring Amanda Nunes.

"Sheetara" was ultimately unable to continue Brazil's grip on the throne, with "Rocky" instead becoming the latest American champion courtesy of a unanimous decision victory after five rounds.

In the days since, Bueno Silva's performance has been a topic of conversation, with many surprised at how quickly she faded in what marked her first time going five rounds in the UFC.

As it turns out, though, she was seemingly dealing with some physical adversity...

Bueno Silva Says Torn Eardrum Hampered Her Efforts At UFC 297

During an interview with MMA Fighting, Bueno Silva reflected on her failed title bid in Canada, which marked her first loss in five fights at bantamweight since moving up from flyweight in 2022.

"Sheetara" claimed that a second-round punch from Pennington partially tore her eardrum, leaving her unable to capitalize on a relatively strong first round and "taking me out of the fight" for the remaining three frames.

"I had a minor ear injury, but aside from that, I feel great and ready to come back," Bueno Silva said. "Raquel hit me hard in the ear and partially tore my eardrum and I kind of lost balance. But it’s part of the game.

"I couldn’t read the fight and know what was happening after the strike [that caused the injury]," Bueno Silva continued. "Kudos to her for landing a good strike that took me out of the fight."

At 32 years old, Bueno Silva's title ambitions on MMA's biggest stage are far from over. She'll now look to work her way back to the belt by returning to winning ways later this year.

Pennington, meanwhile, is expected to put her newly won strap on the line opposite former bantamweight queen Julianna Peña.