Silva’s Replacement Opponent Turned UFC 319 Into a Chance

Karine Silva defeated Dione Barbosa by unanimous decision at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025. All three judges scored the flyweight rematch 29–28 for Silva at United Center in Chicago, six years after Barbosa won their first meeting in Brazil.

An injury changed the original assignment

Silva had initially been scheduled to face Dione Barbosa. After Aldrich withdrew, Barbosa accepted the replacement opportunity and transformed the booking into a rematch of their 2019 regional contest.

Aldrich later said a training injury had prevented her from competing. Barbosa entered after a submission win over Diana Belbita, while Silva was seeking to recover from a decision defeat to Viviane Araújo.

Submission threats came from both sides

Barbosa took Silva’s back late in the first round and threatened a rear-naked choke before switching toward an armbar. Silva defended until the break.

The second brought more positional changes, with Silva gaining control before Barbosa reversed and later produced ground strikes. Neither fighter could turn those opportunities into a finish.

The third round kept the verdict competitive

Silva pursued a guillotine during another scrambling exchange and enjoyed a longer stretch of control. Barbosa reversed again late and finished on top while Silva continued punching from underneath.

Every judge ultimately favored Silva, although the crowd voiced disagreement. The result gave Silva a win over the opponent who had beaten her earlier in her career, completing a replacement booking that delivered a closely contested grappling battle rather than the originally scheduled Aldrich matchup.

Sources

• MMA Fighting: opponent change and 2019 history
• Sherdog: Aldrich’s injury statement and preceding results
• Cageside Press: submission threats, reversals and crowd response
• UFC: official unanimous-decision result

Tags

UFC, MMA