Silvana Gomez Juarez thrilled with UFC 281 booking vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz: 'This is what I needed'

Silvana Gomez Juarez is over the moon about the opportunity that lies ahead.

The UFC strawweight returns to the octagon this Saturday, as she takes on Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 281 in New York. Kowalkiewicz (13-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) being a former UFC title challenger and a veteran of the promotion has Juarez (11-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) delighted with the booking. She sees it as a great opportunity to make a statement and get closer to the rankings.

“I never imagined it was going to be in this card that’s so spectacular and against this rival,” Juarez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “When they offered me this opponent, I was delighted and without any doubt, I said yes because of her experience and the name she has in the UFC.

“My big objective is to get ranked, so this is a great opportunity. I’m ready for this.”

Although Juarez is fairly new to the UFC, she’s had Kowalkiewicz on her radar for many years. Kowalkiewicz is a former KSW women’s flyweight champion and fought the majority of her early career under that banner. Juarez also competed under KSW, as she challenged then-flyweight champion Ariane Lipski for the women’s 125-pound title.

For Juarez, this is a dream matchup, and she’s happy to be fighting Kowalkiewicz at this specific point in time.

“Before she even joined the UFC, I followed her fights because I really liked her style,” Juarez said. “When I saw her win in her most recent fight, I got happy because getting out of a losing streak is not easy. It involves a lot of evolution and a lot of mental strength to be able to get out of that, and a lot of perseverance too.

“I like it even more that she’s coming from that, and she’s got that motivation to return and get another win. I went through something similar. This fight is going to be spectacular.”

Juarez is coming off a first-round knockout of Liang Na at UFC 275 back in June. It was a finish that earned her a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. Additionally, the win snapped a two-fight losing skid, which marked the start of her UFC run.

Juarez feels this is the perfect step following a massive win this past summer.

“I saw a step of this kind, this is what I needed, so I could get closer to the rankings,” Juarez said. “Without a doubt, this fight is very important for my career and this is where I want to be. I want this spotlight. I want to be among the ranked fighters.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.