Shevchenko Out of UFC 332, Wang Cong-Silva Reportedly Targeted as New Main Event
The UFC’s emergency plan for UFC 332 could eventually hand Valentina Shevchenko a chance to avenge a loss she suffered before either woman had set foot in the Octagon.
Shevchenko has reportedly withdrawn from the October 3 card at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City with an undisclosed injury. Her women’s flyweight title defense against No. 1 contender Natalia Silva had been the promotion’s leading option to headline the show. In its place, the UFC is reportedly working on Silva vs. Wang Cong for an interim women’s flyweight championship. Nothing is official, and UFC CEO Dana White has said the main event will be announced this week.
The MMA Scientist Who Is A Top Media Member in China Has Confirmed The #UFC332 Main Event Of Wang Cong vs Natalia Silva https://t.co/VcdiesZ4hjpic.twitter.com/TMdxldyfJq
— Kevin (@realkevink) September 3, 2026
UFC 332 Key Facts
Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Event | UFC 332 |
Date | Saturday, October 3, 2026 |
Venue | Delta Center, Salt Lake City |
Reported original main event | Valentina Shevchenko vs. Natalia Silva, women’s flyweight title |
Status | Shevchenko out with an undisclosed injury |
Reported replacement | Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong, interim women’s flyweight title |
Official confirmation | None |
Wang vs. Shevchenko, 2015 | Wang by unanimous decision, three rounds, kickboxing |
Event | Kunlun Fight 33, Changde, China, October 31, 2015 |
Weight | 132 pounds, with a Kunlun Fight title at stake |
Silva’s UFC record | Undefeated |
Wang’s UFC record | 6-1 |
Wang Cong Already Has a Win Over Shevchenko
On October 31, 2015, Wang beat Shevchenko by unanimous decision over three rounds at Kunlun Fight 33 in Changde, China. The bout was kickboxing, not mixed martial arts. It was contested at 132 pounds with a Kunlun Fight title on the line, and it was the last kickboxing appearance of Shevchenko’s career. She made her UFC debut two months later.
That distinction matters. Wang and Shevchenko have never fought in MMA. A meeting inside the Octagon would be a rematch in the plain sense that the two have shared a ring before, but the sport, the ruleset and the stakes would all be different. Wang has spent years pointing at the 2015 result while asking for the MMA version.
Wang has since built a case that does not depend on it. She entered the UFC through Road to UFC in 2024, submitting Paula Luna in the first round, then knocked out Victoria Leonardo in 62 seconds in her promotional debut in August 2024 and collected a Performance of the Night bonus. Gabriella Fernandes submitted her that November for the only loss of her MMA career. Wang has won four straight since, most recently outpointing Tracy Cortez by unanimous decision at UFC 329 in July, which moved her to No. 6 in the division.
What Has to Happen for the Rematch
The rematch is a possible consequence, not a scheduled fight. Four things have to fall into place.
Silva vs. Wang has to actually get booked, and as of now it has not been announced. Wang then has to beat Silva, who has not lost in the UFC and whose last three wins came against former champions Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso and Jessica Andrade. Shevchenko has to recover and return, and the severity of her injury has not been disclosed. And the promotion has to move toward a unification bout rather than sending the interim champion elsewhere.
Each of those is a real hurdle. Taken together, though, they lead somewhere no other flyweight matchup does.
Why UFC 332 Suddenly Needed Another Title Fight
This is not the promotion’s first attempt to solve the UFC 332 headliner. Reporting indicates the UFC had explored an interim light heavyweight title fight for the card before those plans failed to materialize. Shevchenko vs. Silva then emerged as the likely centerpiece, and the injury took that away with roughly a month to go.
That context is what makes Silva vs. Wang more than a substitute booking. It is the promotion’s attempt to keep a championship on a card that has been searching for a main event for weeks.
UFC 332 Announced Card
Bouts announced by the UFC, plus one reported booking, via MMA Junkie.
Bout | Division | Status |
|---|---|---|
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Payton Talbott | Bantamweight | Announced |
Mick Parkin vs. Johnny Walker | Heavyweight | Announced |
Marvin Vettori vs. Ismail Naurdiev | Middleweight | Announced |
Roman Kopylov vs. Ateba Gautier | Middleweight | Announced |
Damian Pinas vs. Andrey Pulyaev | Not specified | Announced |
Imanol Rodriguez vs. Alden Coria | Not specified | Announced |
Court McGee vs. Eric Nolan | Not specified | Announced |
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Alexander Hernandez | Welterweight | Reported, not announced |
More UFC Coverage
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- Gregory Rodrigues aka ‘RoboCop’ Headlines UFC Sacramento
- Dana White Delivers Huge News to Long-Time Title Contender
What It Would Mean
None of this diminishes Silva. She earned the No. 1 contender spot on her own, she was already positioned for a legitimate title shot, and the replacement scenario preserves her championship opportunity rather than handing it to someone else. She would be the favorite in any version of this fight.
But if Wang gets the opportunity and takes it, Shevchenko comes back to find an interim champion waiting for her, and one of the very few women in the sport who can say she has already beaten “Bullet.”
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.