The UFC has announced its main event for the Oct. 3 numbered card taking place in Salt Lake City. Natalia Silva, the No. 1 ranked women’s flyweight contender, will face Wang Cong for the vacant 125-pound women’s title. The title became available after Valentina Shevchenko was forced to relinquish it due to an injury expected to keep her sidelined for up to a year.
Silva enters the matchup with an undefeated record inside the Octagon, having compiled an 8-0 mark in UFC competition. Her recent victories have come against former UFC champions, including Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso, and Jessica Andrade. Had Shevchenko remained available, observers suggest Silva would likely be challenging for the undisputed title rather than competing for the vacant strap.
Wang brings significant striking credentials to the bout, holding a 5-1 record in UFC fights. The Chinese athlete has amassed accomplishments across multiple combat sports, including gold medals from the 2013 World Wushu Championships and 2014 Asian Games, along with a silver medal in amateur boxing at the 2019 World Championships. She most recently defeated perennial contender Tracy Cortez inside the Octagon.
The main event represents a milestone for women’s combat sports at the UFC, marking the first time women will headline a numbered card since UFC 289 in 2023, when Amanda Nunes defended her women’s bantamweight title against Irene Aldana. The winner will claim the women’s flyweight championship and likely face Shevchenko once the titleholder recovers from her injury. Shevchenko’s most recent outing came in November, when she dominated two-time women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili at Madison Square Garden.
The undercard includes multiple notable bouts, with rising bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott facing former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker will make his heavyweight debut against Mick Parkin, while fighters Ateba Gautier, Damian Pinas, and Imanol Rodriguez round out the card.
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