Zuffa Boxing co-founder and UFC chief executive officer Dana White at 3Arena, Dublin. Picture date: Saturday August 8, 2026. (Photo by Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty Images)
PA Images via Getty Images
The UFC 332 has been thrown into a state of flux. UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko has been forced off the card with an injury. She was set to defend her 125-pound title against top contender Natalia Silva. With the champion out, the card’s main event has been all but ruined. However, UFC brass is scrambling to find a replacement to ensure a title fight remains on the card. And they may have found a replacement for Shevchenko. Let’s talk MMA.
UFC 332 Key Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Event | UFC 332 |
| Date | Saturday, October 3, 2026 |
| Venue | Delta Center, Salt Lake City |
| Reported original main event | Valentina Shevchenko vs. Natalia Silva, women’s flyweight title |
| Status | Shevchenko out with an undisclosed injury |
| Reported replacement | Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong, interim women’s flyweight title |
| Official confirmation | None. Dana White said the main event would be announced this week |
| Silva’s UFC record | Undefeated |
| Wang’s UFC record | 6-1 |
| Wang’s ranking | No. 6 at women’s flyweight |
| Wang vs. Shevchenko history | Wang beat Shevchenko in a 2015 kickboxing bout |
| Shevchenko’s last fight | UFC 322, November 15, 2025 |
The injury report came from Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight, and the UFC has since removed Shevchenko vs. Silva from its website. Neither the promotion nor Shevchenko has commented publicly.
The interim booking traces to a single account on X and remains unannounced. UFC CEO Dana White said after Tuesday’s Contender Series that the main event would be named this week.
Wang Cong has been on a roll with four straight wins after suffering the only loss of her MMA career to Gabriella Fernandes in November 2024. Most recently, Wang defeated Tracy Cortez via unanimous decision in July. The win pushed Wang to No. 6 in the flyweight division. Elevating her into a No. 1 contender or interim title fight with Silva makes sense. The other contenders ahead of Wang and behind Silva have either already had their shot at the title (Manon Fiorot, Alexa Grasso, Zhang Weili) or are sidelined and unavailable for the date (Erin Blanchfield).
Natalia Silva’s Last Five UFC Wins
Career records via ESPN.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 24, 2026 | Rose Namajunas | Unanimous decision | UFC 324 |
| May 10, 2025 | Alexa Grasso | Unanimous decision | UFC 315 |
| Sept. 7, 2024 | Jessica Andrade | Unanimous decision | UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Brady |
| Feb. 3, 2024 | Viviane Araujo | Unanimous decision | UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov |
| Aug. 19, 2023 | Andrea Lee | Unanimous decision | UFC 292 |
More UFC Coverage
- UFC 332: Former TUF Champion Announces His Retirement Fight
- UFC 331 Has 10 Fights and It Looks a Lot Better Than UFC 330
- Tom Aspinall’s Next Fight: Three Eye Surgeries, 10 Months, Beef With Dana White
Wang Cong’s UFC Run Since Her Only Loss
Fight history via UFC.com.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 11, 2026 | Tracy Cortez | Unanimous decision win | UFC 329 |
| Feb. 7, 2026 | Eduarda Moura | Unanimous decision win | UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs. Oliveira |
| June 7, 2025 | Ariane da Silva | Unanimous decision win | UFC 316 |
| Feb. 8, 2025 | Bruna Brasil | Unanimous decision win | UFC 312 |
| Nov. 23, 2024 | Gabriella Fernandes | Submission loss | UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo |
For casual fans, Shevchenko-Silva was a weak main event on paper. Wang-Silva for an interim title reads even weaker to the average fan. The hardcores will still have some interest because the matchup still represents highly skilled, top-of-the-line mixed martial artists.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
About the Author
