Kayla Harrison will not be the only female Olympic judo champ that decided to move to MMA. Brazilian Rafaela Silva, the 2013 world judo champion and former 2016 Olympic gold medalist below 57 kgs (125 ...

Brazil's Rafaela Silva celebrates after winning the gold medal of the women's 57-kg judo competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Markus ...

Brazil breathes. Rio roared. The home team has won its first gold medal. Rafaela Silva, a judoka who grew up fighting in one of Rio’s impoverished favelas – Cidade de Deus, “the City of God,” an area ...

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 08: Rafaela Silva of Brazil celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Women’s -57 kg Final - Gold Medal Contest on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca ...

On Monday afternoon, a hometown favorite won Brazil’s first gold medal of the 2016 Olympics. Rafaela Silva, who hails from the notorious “City of God” favela on the outskirts of Rio, beat top-seeded ...

Rafaela Silva has made her country proud by winning the first gold medal of the Olympic games in judo. Overcoming poverty in Brazil’s most notorious favela, the “City of God” Silva took up the sport ...

After Rafaela Silva was disqualified from the 2012 Olympics for using an illegal leg grab, many Brazilians sent her vile, racist messages via social media. But on Monday, in Rio de Janeiro, they ...

The car stopped briefly outside the door to the house on Rua Jesse in the City of God where Rafaela Silva grew up. The driver glanced in his rear-view mirror and saw two men come out of the ...

Reporting from rio de janeiro — Just after Rafaela Silva won the first Brazilian gold medal at the Rio Olympics, she broke down and wept in front of a camera, just managing to deliver a few words to ...

RIO DE JANEIRO — Rafaela Silva has won Brazil’s first gold medal of the Rio Olympics. In the final of the women’s 57-kilogram division, Silva delivered what her judo compatriots on the first two days ...

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) From the favela to the top of the podium, Rafaela Silva earned Brazil's first gold medal of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. And to celebrate, the 24-year-old judo champion shed tears ...