Shevchenko vows to reclaim belt as Helwani reports she didn't vacate willingly

Valentina Shevchenko says she is coming back for the UFC women's flyweight title she vacated last month. She posted the warning on X after Natalia Silva beat Wang Cong for the vacant belt at UFC 332 on Saturday, October 3, Sherdog reported. She congratulated Silva first, then added:

But don't get too comfortable — keep it warm, I'm coming soon for my belt!

On Monday's episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani said Shevchenko did not give up the title by choice, according to MMA Insight. MMA Insight says he had sounded out his sources, but he didn't name them, and the report hasn't been confirmed. We found no response from Shevchenko, her coach or the UFC as of Tuesday.

Willing or pushed?

The UFC said on Saturday, September 5, that Shevchenko was vacating the belt because of an undisclosed injury and could be out up to a year, according to theScore. Even then, Cageside Press wrote it was unclear whether she vacated or was stripped. She had been expected to defend against Silva in the UFC 332 main event in Salt Lake City.

Her coach, Pavel Fedotov, told the Russian outlet Ushatayka it was ligament damage in her shoulder and back. He put recovery at about eight months, MMA Sucka reported on September 7. He described it as the team's call: "we've made the decision to temporarily vacate the belt."

Helwani's account is different. He said she does have a lingering injury, but:

Did she willingly give up that belt, no. Absolutely not. They needed a title fight.

Everyone agrees the injury is real, and the UFC said in September she gets a title shot when she returns, as Heavy reported. Helwani goes further. He said that if the UFC had had another title fight for October 3, she would still be champion.

Fans had already asked why Tom Aspinall (315 days out) and Kayla Harrison (455 days) kept their belts, MMA Sucka noted. If Helwani is right, a champion with nine defenses across two reigns was moved aside so a scheduled card kept its title fight.

The new champion

Silva won a unanimous decision over Wang, 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46, per UFC.com. She is now 21-5-1, 9-0 in the UFC and on a 15-fight win streak. She closed at −204, a 64% chance, on our Silva page.

She didn't name a first challenger. "I want to be an active champion," she told reporters after the fight, via Heavy.

What comes next

No Silva vs. Shevchenko fight is booked, and the two have never met. Fedotov's eight-month recovery estimate runs to about May 2027. The UFC said she could be out up to a year, which is September 2027. Shevchenko, 26-4-1, turns 39 in March.

She won her last two fights by unanimous decision, over Manon Fiorot in May 2025 and Zhang Weili in November 2025. She was a slight underdog in both of her last two title wins: +106 against Alexa Grasso in September 2024 and +110 against Fiorot, according to our Shevchenko page.

Dominick Cruz vacated the bantamweight title with a torn groin in January 2014 and won it back two years later, beating T.J. Dillashaw by split decision (Wikipedia).

We think Silva will defend at least once before Shevchenko is back. Silva says she wants to be an active champion, and Dana White said after the fight, "I think she should be active," Uncrowned reported.