Natalia Silva defeated Rose Namajunas on the UFC 324 main card, solidifying her position as the #1 contender in the women's flyweight division. Previously at #2, Silva now awaits a title shot against champion Valentina Shevchenko, who recently beat Weili Zhang at UFC 322. This matchup offers a fresh challenge for Shevchenko after thwarting Zhang's double-champ ambitions. The rankings update post-UFC 324 highlights Silva's rise in the 125-pound division.
Reports emerging after UFC 324 suggest Natalia Silva has climbed to the top of the women's flyweight contender rankings following a victory over Rose Namajunas on the event's main card, though the ranking movement has not yet been officially confirmed.
Silva, a 29-year-old Brazilian fighting out of Team Borracha, carries a record of 20-5-1 and has built her reputation as a high-output striker at 125 pounds. She lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute and fights as a southpaw standing five-foot-four with a 65-inch reach. The win over Namajunas appears to have pushed her from the number-five spot in the division toward the top contender position, setting up what could be a title opportunity against champion Valentina Shevchenko.
Shevchenko, the reigning women's flyweight champion, is coming off a win over Zhang Weili at UFC 322, where she reportedly denied the strawweight champion's bid to become a two-division titleholder. The 38-year-old from Kyrgyzstan holds a record of 26-4-1 and trains out of Tiger Muay Thai. A southpaw known for her technical precision, Shevchenko lands 3.14 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy and also averages 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes, making her a threat in virtually every phase of a fight.
Zhang Weili, the strawweight queen who challenged Shevchenko, is 36 years old with a 26-4-0 record and one of the sport's most active strikers, averaging 5.15 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Silva's reported rise to number one sets up a potential new title challenger for Shevchenko in a division she has long dominated
- A Silva title shot would pit two high-volume southpaw strikers against each other, with Silva throwing more but Shevchenko landing with greater efficiency
- Shevchenko's fresh win over a high-profile crossover threat adds momentum heading into any next defense
