Karine Silva, a rising star in the UFC, experienced a mixture of emotions after inflicting a gruesome knee injury on Ketlen Souza at UFC Vegas 74. While Silva celebrated her second consecutive first-round finish, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness witnessing Souza’s knee crumble under her devastating leg lock.
Here, we examine Silva’s feelings and responses to the terrible event as well as her future intentions for the Octagon.
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Ketlen Souza suffers a horrible UFC Vegas 74 injury by Karine Silva
Silva, known as “Killer” for her ruthless fighting style, showcased her dominance once more at UFC Vegas 74 within the confines of the UFC Apex. Yet, this time, a darker and more violent sequence of events followed her win. Employing a sinister leg lock, Silva tore apart the knee of Octagon newcomer Ketlen Souza, leaving her in excruciating pain.
Souza’s knee injury was so severe that she had to be assisted out of the cage, highlighting the brutality of Silva’s finishing move. At 29 years, Silva has maintained an unblemished record (2-0) since her signing with the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series.
Ketlen Souza getting helped out of the octagon#UFCVegas74 pic.twitter.com/0Z1PNit3LQ
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) June 4, 2023
With overall 16 victories under her belt and a 100% finish percentage. She has earned a reputation as a relentless finisher who should be taken seriously in the Octagon. Silva is anxious to fight again in August despite the latest knee injury accident. She is still hungry to extend her winning run, with her sights set on tougher future challenges.
Karine Silva offers “Mixed Feelings” destroying Ketlen Souza’s knee
Despite winning, Silva couldn’t help but show a variety of emotions in her post-fight media interview. Through a translator, Silva revealed her conflicting sentiments about the devastating knee injury she inflicted upon Souza. “I have mixed feelings, obviously. It was very sad to see it,” Silva confessed.
As professional fighters, the mix martial artists understand the risks associated with their craft, yet they usually never intend to cause such severe injuries to their opponents. Silva’s empathy stemmed from personal experience as well, having faced her fair share of injuries in the past.
She acknowledged the grueling recovery process and the hardships that Souza would now have to endure, “I’m an athlete, and I have been on the other side of having an injury.”
“I understand the time of recovery and everything that goes into it; it’s just very tough,” she further added.
It will be interesting to see if Karine manages to hold on to her current form following the recent altercation. In a famous example, Uriah Hall delivered a vicious knockout against Adam Cella. As Adam laid on the octagon in a numb state, Hall watched in horror, presumably contemplating his own choices.
Many say the middleweight was never the same after this fight. Silva, however, seems much more composed in the face of her recent victory, so her performance might not take a noticeable hit.
