Silva targets UFC flyweight gold as Brazil eyes sweep of all three women's titles

Natalia Silva steps into the octagon this Saturday in Salt Lake City to face Wang Cong for the vacant UFC flyweight title, and the unbeaten Brazilian believes her victory — combined with Amanda Nunes’ anticipated bantamweight challenge — will deliver an unprecedented sweep of all three UFC women’s divisions for Brazil before the end of 2026.

Mackenzie Dern already holds one of those belts, and Nunes is scheduled to face bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison in the co-main event of UFC 334 on 14 November at Madison Square Garden in New York. Should both Brazilians win, their nation would simultaneously hold the strawweight, flyweight, and bantamweight titles — a feat Silva described as a defining moment for the sport.

“Three Brazilian champions at the same time would be a milestone in history,” Silva told MMA Fighting. “It would be a milestone, a historic moment for women’s and Brazilian MMA.”

Silva arrives at the title fight on the back of one of the most impressive runs in the women’s flyweight division. She has gone 8-0 inside the UFC, defeating three former champions consecutively — Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso, and Rose Namajunas — all by decision. Wang Cong earned her shot at the vacant belt with a fourth straight promotional win, a decision over Tracy Cortez, after Valentina Shevchenko relinquished the title to recover from injury.

To prepare for the altitude conditions in Salt Lake City, Silva spent a month training in Mexico. “I gave up a lot of things to live this experience, to train, to focus only on the fight,” she said. “I’m going to do my part.”

The 32-year-old spoke with quiet but firm conviction about her sense of identity as a champion, long before any belt was on the line. “From the very beginning, I always saw myself as a champion,” she said. “That little girl from Minas Gerais, quietly working her way up. In my head, I already feel like the champion. I already feel like I’m living that moment.”

The question of Shevchenko’s return adds a layer of intrigue to the flyweight picture. It remains unclear when the former champion will be cleared to compete again, or whether she will return at flyweight or pursue a second belt at bantamweight. Silva, however, dismissed any suggestion that winning a vacant title would diminish her achievement.