Valentina Shevchenko Vacates UFC Flyweight Championship Due to Injury
Valentina Shevchenko is no longer the UFC women’s flyweight champion.
The UFC announced Saturday during the promotion’s UFC Paris broadcast that Shevchenko has vacated the 125-pound championship after suffering an undisclosed injury that is expected to keep her sidelined for up to a year.
The unexpected announcement brings an end to Shevchenko’s second reign as UFC women’s flyweight champion and immediately creates a new opportunity for two of the division’s top contenders.
Silva vs. Wang for vacant title
With Shevchenko unable to compete for an extended period, the UFC has booked Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong for the vacant women’s flyweight championship at UFC 332 on October 3.
The fight will headline the event at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, with the winner becoming the latest fighter to claim the UFC’s 125-pound crown.
Silva enters the matchup with an impressive résumé. The Brazilian is 20-5-1 overall and 8-0 inside the UFC, and she has established herself as one of the division’s most consistent contenders. Her recent run includes victories over former champions Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso and Jessica Andrade.
Wang, meanwhile, brings a 10-1 professional record into the biggest opportunity of her career. She has won four consecutive fights and will now have a chance to capture UFC gold despite being considerably less experienced in championship-level UFC competition than Silva.
Another chapter in Shevchenko’s remarkable career
The title vacancy is a disappointing development for Shevchenko, who had reestablished herself as one of the dominant figures in women’s MMA.
“Bullet” regained the flyweight championship in September 2024 by defeating Alexa Grasso via unanimous decision. She subsequently defended the title against Manon Fiorot before adding another major victory against former two-time strawweight champion Zhang Weili.
Her victory over Weili was particularly significant, tying Shevchenko with Amanda Nunes for the most women’s UFC title-fight victories at the time. A planned fight with Silva would have given Shevchenko an opportunity to move ahead of Nunes on that list.
Instead, Shevchenko will now be forced to watch the division she ruled for years crown a new champion.
Will Shevchenko get another title opportunity?
Although the immediate future of Shevchenko’s career remains uncertain, reports indicate that the former champion is expected to receive a title opportunity when she is healthy and ready to return.
That could make the upcoming Silva-Wang championship fight even more intriguing. Whoever leaves UFC 332 with the belt could eventually find themselves defending it against one of the most accomplished female fighters in UFC history.
For now, however, the women’s flyweight division enters a new era.
Valentina Shevchenko is without a belt, and on October 3, Natalia Silva and Wang Cong will fight for the opportunity to become the next UFC women’s flyweight champion.
