Ligament damage to shoulder and back forces Shevchenko to vacate UFC flyweight title

Valentina Shevchenko has relinquished the UFC women’s flyweight title after sustaining ligament damage to her shoulder and back, her coach Pavel Fedotov confirmed. The UFC announced the vacancy on Saturday, revealing that Shevchenko faces nearly a year on the sidelines, with Natalia Silva and Wang Cong now booked to fight for the vacant belt in the main event of UFC 332 in Salt Lake City.

Fedotov, speaking to Telegram channel Ushatayka, said Shevchenko had originally been scheduled to defend her title against Silva at UFC 332 on October 3 before the injury forced a change of plans.

“We were supposed to fight on Oct. 3 against Natalia Silva, but due to an injury to the ligaments in the shoulder and back, we decided not to push things and postpone the fight,” Fedotov said. “Given that the recovery will take a long time, we’ve made the decision to temporarily vacate the belt, and once she recovers, she will fight for it again.”

The announcement caught many in the MMA world off guard. Shevchenko, known as “Bullet”, is widely regarded as one of the most dominant champions in UFC history, having made nine successful flyweight title defences. Her tally of UFC title fight wins places her tied fourth all-time across all divisions.

The plan, according to Fedotov, is straightforward: allow Shevchenko to recover fully and then pursue the title again upon her return. Whether that path leads directly to a rematch with whoever emerges from UFC 332 remains to be seen, but the coach’s framing of the vacancy as a temporary measure signals that Shevchenko has no intention of stepping away from the sport permanently.

Silva and Wang Cong now have the opportunity to fill one of the most decorated thrones in women’s MMA, with the Salt Lake City card set to crown a new flyweight champion for the first time in years.