Valentina Shevchenko has vacated or been stripped of the UFC women's flyweight title due to an injury, though the exact circumstances remain unclear. As a result, Natalia Silva and Wang Cong will meet for the vacant championship in the UFC 332 main event.
The UFC women's flyweight title is vacant heading into October, after Valentina Shevchenko relinquished or was stripped of the championship due to injury. The full circumstances surrounding the title change remain unclear, but the consequence is concrete: the promotion has booked number-one contender Natalia Silva against eighth-ranked Wang Cong to crown a new champion at UFC 332 on October 3, 2026.
Shevchenko, known as "Bullet," had long been the defining figure of the women's flyweight division. The 38-year-old from Kyrgyzstan carried a 26-4-1 professional record into her absence and fought out of Tiger Muay Thai as a southpaw standing five-foot-five with a 66-inch reach. Over her career she averaged 3.14 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy, while also threatening with 2.62 takedown attempts per 15 minutes — a combination that made her one of the most complete fighters in the sport.
Silva enters the main event as the top-ranked contender and brings a 20-5-1 record to the biggest fight of her career. The 29-year-old Brazilian southpaw is five-foot-four with a 65-inch reach and fights for Team Borracha. Her calling card is volume striking — she lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute, among the highest rates in the division.
Wang Cong, nicknamed "The Joker," steps in as the eighth-ranked flyweight with a 10-1-0 record. The 34-year-old southpaw stands five-foot-six with a 65-inch reach and posts a remarkable 6.82 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, making her one of the most efficient strikers in the weight class. She also mixes in 0.62 takedown attempts and 0.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes, giving her a more varied threat profile.
Why it matters
- A new flyweight champion will be crowned for the first time in years, reshaping the division's landscape entirely.
- Silva's elite volume striking collides with Wang Cong's high-accuracy, high-output offense, setting up a striking-heavy main event.
- The winner immediately steps out of Shevchenko's shadow and must define the division's next era.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
