Natalia Silva calls on Shevchenko to stop stalling and defend flyweight title

Natalia Silva is growing impatient with the pace of negotiations for a UFC flyweight title shot, publicly calling on champion Valentina Shevchenko to commit to a fight after the promotion told Silva that “Bullet” is sidelined with an injury. Silva, who has won all eight of her UFC bouts, says Shevchenko’s recent training clips posted from Thailand suggest the issue is not serious.

“We’re waiting and hoping the champion is ready to fight soon,” Silva told MMA Fighting. “From what she posts on social media, it doesn’t seem to be anything serious. It looks like she’s already back training. We’re just waiting for her to say, ‘Alright, let’s put the belt on the line.’ There’s no way she’s going to keep holding onto the belt forever, right? A champion has to keep the division moving. That’s all we’re waiting for.”

Silva’s path to this point has been straightforward. After defeating former champion Alexa Grasso in May 2025, she expected an immediate title shot but instead agreed to face Rose Namajunas the following January after being promised the next crack at the 125-pound belt. She has also earned performance bonuses for victories over Jessica Andrade and Tereza Bleda during her unbeaten UFC run.

The Brazilian contender says she is willing to fight Shevchenko anywhere, including Kyrgyzstan, the champion’s home country. “It doesn’t matter where the fight happens, whether it’s in her country or anywhere else,” Silva said. “My goal is to become champion. No matter where I fight, I’m going to become champion. I truly believe that.”

Silva is under no illusions about the difficulty of the task. She describes the 38-year-old Shevchenko, who has nine successful title defenses across two reigns, as still being “in her prime” and a “very tough challenge.” She has noted a tactical evolution in Shevchenko’s game, with the champion leaning more heavily on grappling after decisions against Manon Fiorot and Zhang Weili following her 2024 belt reclamation from Grasso.

“She relied much more on her striking before, and now she seems more inclined to go for the grappling exchanges, but I think that’s smart,” Silva said. “She’s a fighter who does that extremely well. There’s a reason she’s still at the top today.”

Despite the grappling concern, Silva is confident in her own defensive wrestling. She has conceded just three takedowns across her eight UFC appearances — against Namajunas, Bleda, and Viviane Araujo — and expects to handle Shevchenko’s attempts in the same manner. Silva anticipates a striking-based approach will ultimately prove decisive if and when the two finally meet.