Olympic gold medalist Rafaela Silva says MMA is not for her, describing the experience as tough and admiring fighters who undergo such transitions between sports.
Olympic gold medalist Rafaela Silva has no plans to follow fellow judokas Ronda Rousey and Kayla Harrison into mixed martial arts (MMA). Silva, a two-time judo world champion (2013 and 2022) and one-time Olympic champion (2016), briefly considered MMA during her two-year suspension for fenoterol, a substance used to treat asthma. Although she claimed innocence, Silva was forced to stay away from judo for two years between 2019 and 2021, prompting her interest in MMA as a way to stay active.
Despite her foray into the sport, Silva concluded that MMA is not for her. While speaking on the Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca, she explained, “I can’t. It doesn’t work for me. I got kicked in the face, kicked on the leg, and couldn’t put my foot on the ground for three or four days. It’s very tough.” Silva has close friendships with former UFC champion Jose Aldo and Nova União fighters Leonardo Santos, Matheus Nicolau, and Luana Pinheiro. Training with these MMA athletes has only increased her admiration for what they do.
Silva described her brief experience with MMA as “unique” and explained that her judo background made it challenging to adapt. “It was a very difficult but amazing experience for me because it came at a moment I couldn’t train judo, so I gave myself the luxury and privilege of training another sport,” she said. Throughout this time, Silva realized that even as an Olympic champion, she still had much to learn about combat sports. The MMA training ultimately helped her in her return to judo, as she won her second world title in her first tournament back from suspension.
Although Silva has long admired fighters like Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo, her experience in MMA training made her an even bigger fan. She praised judo phenoms Ronda Rousey and Kayla Harrison, who transitioned to MMA and became superstars, winning titles in UFC and PFL, respectively. Silva acknowledged the challenges of transitioning between the sports, saying, “You just can’t not admire athletes like her.”