Viviane Araujo is aiming to reestablish herself in the title conversation by defeating flyweight prospect Natalia Silva at the UFC Vegas 85 event, and believes that current champion Alexa Grasso will still hold the title when she gets there.
Viviane Araujo’s got her eyes on the prize. She’s looking to make a comeback in the title conversation. This Saturday, at UFC Vegas 85, she’s aiming to halt the rise of flyweight prospect Natalia Silva.
And who does she see sitting on the throne when she gets there? Alexa Grasso, no less.
Who’s next to challenge Grasso? That’s a mystery. The UFC hasn’t made any announcements yet. Grasso’s last bout was a split draw with Valentina Shevchenko in September 2023. In their first fight, Grasso choked out “Bullet” in the fourth round, snatching the 125-pound title.
Araujo’s got a hunch. She laughed as she shared her thoughts on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast. “A trilogy between the two is probably going to happen next,” she said. “I didn’t want that. I wanted the division to move a little bit.”
But regardless of Grasso’s next opponent, Araujo believes the current champ will hold her ground. Grasso earned her title shot with a five-round decision victory over Araujo in October 2022. She’s now on a six-fight unbeaten streak.
“Alexa is a very solid athlete who has grown a lot as of late,” Araujo said. “From what I can see from the girls at the top, I believe she will continue with the belt.”
Araujo’s last octagon appearance was a nail-biter. She clinched a decision victory over former title contender Jennifer Maia last October. Both athletes were on the last bouts of their respective deals. Araujo signed a new contract afterward, while Maia wasn’t re-signed.
Pressure? Araujo brushes it off. “I won’t say I have less pressure going into this fight with Natalia now,” she said. “I’ll always be alert and eager for the victory to climb the rankings. I don’t think I’ll climb the rankings that much with a win over her, but that’s another victory to my record and me getting more solid in the top 10 of the division. I’m going there to do what I love the most.”
Araujo sees a bit of Amanda Ribas in Silva. She’s faced Ribas before, another hyped Brazilian talent. She thinks her grappling skills will give her the edge this time. Her strategy? No secret there.
“Natalia doesn’t have that much experience in the UFC [like Ribas], but I think she has a good game,” Araujo said. “She’s very skilled, so my team and I studied her quite a lot. I’m going there very alert because we never know how the opponent may surprise us.”
Araujo’s real love? The grappling fight. “I like the stand-up fight, I’m very aggressive on the feet, but my real love is for the grappling fight,” she said. “I wasn’t able to show my ground game in the UFC yet, but I want it so bad. I’ve been sharpening my ground game for a long time, migrating from jiu-jitsu to MMA, and I’m in an excellent moment in my career right now. I’m fighting more intelligently, and I think I’ll be able to use my ground game, use my tools on Saturday, because that’s what’s going to surprise Natalia.”