UFC 292 Sleeper Scrap: Maryna Moroz vs. Karine Silva

“Iron Lady” made her flyweight debut with an impressive submission win over Mariya Agapova. After subsequently losing a decision to Jennifer Maia, she'll try to get back into the win column at UFC 292.

A Dana White's Contender Series product, Karine Silva has impressed so far in the UFC by ending her first two bouts via first-round submission.

The Brazilian lost her pro debut but rebounded with five wins before she was submitted by Moroz in 2014. She quickly followed that setback with four stoppage victories.

“Killer” had that winning run snapped by back-to-back losses, but another four-fight run of finishes resulted in a shot on DWCS in 2021, on which she submitted Qihui Yan.

Silva quickly introduced UFC fans to her dangerous submission game when she caught Poliana Botelho with a D’arce choke in her promotional debut. In May, she extended her win streak to seven fights by defeating Ketlen Souza with a nasty kneebar.

The Matchup

Moroz isn’t an especially flashy striker, but she’s capable of having lots of success on the feet with a game that’s largely built around her jab.

“Iron Lady” likes to mix up her jabs to the body as well as the head of opponents, and once she starts timing right hands the Ukrainian can really begin to score some damage. She’s also capable of using that right straight as an effective counter shot, and while she mainly relies on her hands, the 31-year-old will mix in some low kicks and occasional front kicks on the feet as well.

Moroz’s forward pressure often creates chances for her to pursue takedowns along the fence, and once things hit the ground she’s a considerable submission threat. She particularly likes looking for armbars from both top and bottom position.

Silva prefers to get things done via submission, but on the feet she does have an active kicking game and packs quite a bit of power with her right hand. 

The Brazilian loves to throw out front kicks and high kicks with both legs, and she'll also use low kicks to help set up her 1-2’s. Silva’s right straight and overhand right are her most dangerous punches, and if she overextends and ends up too close to an opponent she’s quick to clinch up and try to force things to the fence.

“Killer” is willing to pursue takedowns from open space but is more effective at getting things to the ground against the cage. The moment things hit the mat, she’s a threat to end the fight with a variety of different submissions.

The Stakes

Matching two fighters up for the second time is an easy way to make a bout interesting, but in this case it’s even more intriguing due to the fact that these women first met very early on in their respective careers.

Both Moroz and Silva have obviously made significant developments in their skills since that first meeting, and “Killer” will likely be eager to get revenge for her submission loss considering how dominant the Brazilian has become on the ground.

Silva’s ability to end things in the first round is certainly something Moroz needs to be aware of. However, the Ukrainian might be interested in trying to test her opponent’s gas tank. “Iron Lady” did struggle a bit to establish her striking range in her last fight, but she’s also extremely durable and could drag Silva into deep waters if she doesn’t get caught by an early submission.

It’s not often that fighters begin their time in the UFC with a pair of first-round finishes, so “Killer” has already attracted the attention of fans with her two performances so far. A loss here certainly wouldn’t derail her UFC career, but starting off with three-straight wins could put her on the fast track to the flyweight top 15.

It will be interesting to see if Moroz tries to keep things standing considering she’s probably the more well-rounded of the two women on the feet. However, if things do hit the canvas, both flyweights are a threat to end things with a submission and could combine for some entertaining scrambles to kick things off at UFC 292.

You can catch up on previous editions of the MMA News' Sleeper Scrap right here!