Natalia Silva tells Valentina Shevchenko to 'get in line' for UFC belt

Natalia Silva won the UFC women's flyweight title at UFC 332 on October 3 in Salt Lake City, defeating Cong Wang by unanimous decision to extend her unbeaten streak to 15 consecutive fights. In the aftermath, Silva has responded to multiple challenges and criticisms surrounding her victory.

Wang claimed after the bout that an eye poke early in the fight hampered her performance, but Silva disputed this account, stating her hand was closed at the time. "It wasn't an illegal eye poke, as it ended up being portrayed online," Silva told Sherdog. She also defended her fighting approach against UFC president Dana White's suggestion that Wang would view her performance differently upon review. Silva argued that her well-executed strategy simply prevented her opponent from implementing her game plan, and that criticism of Wang's performance unfairly overshadows the effectiveness of Silva's defensive wrestling and cage control.

Former champion Valentina Shevchenko, who relinquished the belt due to injury, congratulated Silva but suggested she would soon reclaim her title. Silva made clear the belt now belongs to her and told Shevchenko to wait her turn. Silva pointed out that she had been scheduled to face Shevchenko before the UFC matched her with Alexa Grasso in May 2025 and then Sarah Namajunas in January. "The belt isn't hers; it's mine," Silva said. "She can just get in line." Silva plans to make her first title defense in 2027.