WSW Title Lany Silva 7-2 BRA vs Michele Oliveira 5-1 BRA
The Brazilian national kickboxing champion, Lany Silva made quick work in her Warriors debut last year with a first-round finish. Emanating from Bahia state which is famous for its strikers though she trains with UFC vet Lucas ‘Mineiro’ Martins in São Paulo, her dismissive display against Bagishvili was even more impressive considering it came via a stupendous heel hook. A tough and scrappy style that makes her so tricky to finish, she carried the momentum of that win back to Brazil where she immediately grabbed the LFA strawweight title with a head kick KO. She now competes for a different belt against another top-drawer Jiu-Jitsu player.
BJJ star Oliveira showed she also has some serious hands when she dominated Uzbekistan’s hand-to-hand combat champion Zulfiya Kurbashova at UAE Warriors 60. Prior to that, she first came to the world’s attention by winning her IMMAF world title on the very same night as Khaled Laallam and Manon Fiorot during an undefeated amateur career. Since then she has competed several times on UFC Fight Pass Invitational, beating Roxanne Modafferi in one such contest. A Nova União fighter training under the legendary André Pederneiras, this Carioca showed her fast-growing skillset with that first-round TKO of Kurbashova in June and with her sole loss coming from a paper-thin split decision four years ago in LFA, she has never been finished.
Though both fighters have successfully broadened their skillsets after transitioning to MMA, this remains a striker versus grappler matchup. Both of their wins at UAE Warriors came from outside their wheelhouses. Certainly Silva is better on the feet than Kurbashova, and Oliveira won’t be giving up her ankle like Bagishvili. Whoever has worked harder outside their comfort zone will be the one to take the belt.
