How Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong Became UFC 332’s New Title Fight
The UFC’s Oct. 3 card at Delta Center in Salt Lake City was supposed to be headlined by Valentina Shevchenko defending the women’s flyweight title. A serious injury changed that. The UFC announced during the UFC Paris telecast that Natalia Silva and Wang Cong will now meet in the UFC 332 main event — not for an interim belt, but for the undisputed championship.
Shevchenko is out, and she is giving up the title. MMA News reports the champion suffered an injury that could sideline her for up to a year and elected to surrender the belt rather than hold up the division. Because she vacated, the UFC did not need to create an interim title; it simply booked a fight for the full championship. Sports Illustrated’s MMA Knockout had earlier reported the UFC was considering an interim title bout after the original Shevchenko-Silva matchup fell through. The final move went a step further.
Silva was the obvious replacement choice. The Brazilian, 20-5-1, is ranked No. 1 in the division and is unbeaten in eight UFC fights. She enters UFC 332 on a 14-fight winning streak. Her last three wins have carried real weight: decision victories over former UFC champions Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso, and Jessica Andrade, according to MMA Fighting.
Wang Cong brings a different kind of momentum. China’s “The Joker” is 10-1 and has won four straight, most recently outpointing Tracy Cortez at UFC 329 in July. Her UFC debut was stunning: a 62-second knockout of Victoria Leonardo in 2024. A loss to Gabriella Fernandes followed, but Wang has rebounded and earned her first title shot.
The fight also has history. Wang and Shevchenko met in kickboxing in 2015, and Wang won by decision. Shevchenko has disputed the scoring. That backstory gives the UFC an easy narrative if Wang wins: a fighter who once beat the champion could now wear her belt. A future meeting between Wang and a recovered Shevchenko would carry obvious appeal.
The stakes have changed in another way, too. Silva was preparing for a challenger’s role. Now she enters the Octagon as the favorite to become champion, while Wang arrives as a dangerous underdog with knockout power and a win over the former champ. UFC 332’s main event went from a familiar title defense to a genuine crossroads fight — a rare case where an injury did not shrink the moment.