Matchmaking the New Flyweight Queen Natalia Silva
After Natalia Silva dominated at UFC 332 to capture the flyweight title, we look ahead to her first title defence.
Natalia Silva now reigns supreme at 125lbs after a dominant win over Wang Cong in the UFC 332 main event. The Brazilian was the deserving party in the main event, and her class showed as she outclassed her Chinese opponent over 25 minutes.
Naturally, we look ahead to what might be next for the new champion and who she could face in her first title defence as she looks to cement her legacy as the UFC flyweight champion.
Matchmaking Natalia Silva
Alexa Grasso
We will more than likely see Alexa Grasso vs Natalia Silva part two for the Brazilian's first title defence. The two women first met in May 2025, with Silva winning via unanimous decision.
Since that fight, Grasso rebounded well with a stunning victory over Maycee Barber and followed that up with a win at Noche UFC against Manon Fiorot over 15 minutes.
Although many may see it as too soon for a rematch, there are very few options out there for Silva, and Grasso has earned another shot at gold.
Erin Blanchfield (If she beats Jasmine Jasudavicius)
Erin Blanchfield faces Jasmine Jasudavicius on October 18th in Canada, and if she wins that fight, she could be next to face Natalia Silva. The American, with a win over Jasudavicius, would extend her winning run to three straight, including a win over former champion Rose Namajunas.
'Cold Blooded' only has a single UFC loss and holds a UFC record of 8-1. She's always been seen as a potential champion, and if she's to get her hand raised on October 18th, she may just get her shot.
Valentina Shevchenko
The obvious fight to make would be the new champion vs the champion who was forced to vacate due to injury. Valentina Shevchenko made two defences of her title after winning it back but is expected to be out for a prolonged period of time due to injury. If she doesn't return until the end of next year, it may see the in-form Silva sit on the bench during her prime years.
She did say that she wouldn't sit out and wait for Shevchenko to return; however, if the money is right and she can be convinced that it is the fight to make next, we may not see Silva for a long time.
