Well, that escalated quickly. Valentina Shevchenko’s latest injury blow has completely shaken up the UFC’s women’s flyweight division, with ‘Bullet’ officially giving up her 125-pound throne after revealing she could be out of action for up to a year.

And just like that, top contenders Natalia Silva and Wang Cong are now set to throw down for the undisputed title at UFC 332. The bombshell announcement was made live during the UFC Paris broadcast, confirming that Shevchenko won’t be defending the belt after all.

“Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is unable to compete, and as informed the UFC that she will be sidelined for up to a year,” the broadcasters said. “Shevchenko was prepared to defend her championship, of course, but the injury has forced her out of the foreseeable.

“So the women’s flyweight championship will be on the line when Natalia Silva takes on Wang Cong for the undisputed title. If and when Shevchenko is healthy, she will return. She will have the opportunity to reclaim the championship.”

The 38-year-old had been lined up to face Silva on October 3, but the injury put that matchup on ice and left the division without its champion. However, with ‘Bullet’ officially out, the UFC wasn’t about to let the flyweight division sit around collecting dust.

Instead, the No.1-ranked Natalia Silva stays put in the main event and will now fight the No.6-ranked Wang Cong for the vacant 125-lbs title. Basically, both fighters just got a surprise shot at UFC gold.

While the severity of the injury was initially unclear, we’ve got a much better idea of just how bad the situation is.

Valentina Shevchenko could be out for up to 12 months, leaving the UFC with little choice but to move on and crown a new flyweight champion rather than put the division on hold.

And this one truly stings. The 38-year-old was gearing up for her first fight since November 2025, only to have the comeback derailed by another injury. There is no denying that ‘Bullet’ is still one of the most dominant names in women’s MMA, but her recent run has been a bit of a grind, with several of her fights going the full distance.

Since September 2021, five of Shevchenko’s fights have gone the distance, with her 2023 submission loss to Alexa Grasso being the obvious exception. Even so, ‘Bullet’ has somehow always found a way to stay right around the top of the division and eventually worked her way back to the flyweight throne.

Interestingly, this is only the second time the 38-year-old has pulled out of a fight herself. The first came in 2020, when her planned title defense against Joanne Wood was scrapped after she couldn’t recover in time from a leg injury suffered against Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 247.

The rest of Valentina Shevchenko’s canceled matchups weren’t exactly on her. Nicco Montano was forced out of their UFC 228 title fight because of health issues, while Amanda Nunes had to withdraw from their UFC 213 showdown after falling ill. So, while ‘Bullet’ has had her fair share of fight cancellations, this latest one hits differently.

It’s also a brutal twist for Natalia Silva, who had been absolutely on fire. The Brazilian has rattled off eight straight UFC wins and was heading into the Shevchenko fight off a ridiculous run against three former champions in her last three appearances.

Silva beat Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso, and Jessica Andrade by unanimous decision, putting together arguably the hottest streak in the division. But instead of waiting around for ‘Bullet’ to heal up, she now gets another massive opportunity, and this time, there’s UFC gold on the line against Wang Cong.

Valentina Shevchenko’s decision to give up the belt also puts her name in a pretty wild piece of UFC history. Before ‘Bullet,’ no woman had ever voluntarily vacated the UFC flyweight championship.

Nicco Montano’s 2018 situation was completely different. She was stripped of the title after being hospitalized on the morning of the UFC 228 weigh-ins because of health complications, leaving her unable to make weight for her scheduled defense against Shevchenko. With the division stuck, the UFC simply had to move on and take the belt away.

This time, though, the decision came from Shevchenko herself. ‘Bullet’ has willingly stepped aside, although the promotion has made it clear that her reign may not be over for good.

What the UFC 332 card looks like now after Valentina Shevchenko’s pullout

With Valentina Shevchenko officially out, UFC 332 has gone from one title main event to a completely different one.

For Natalia Silva, this is the chance to finally cash in on that ridiculous winning streak. Wang Cong, meanwhile, has landed the biggest fight of her career and could walk away with UFC gold if she pulls off the upset.

The co-main event is no slouch either, with Deiveson Figueiredo taking on Payton Talbott in a bantamweight showdown. Meanwhile, Johnyn Walker takes on Mick Parkin for his heavyweight debut.

The rest of the card features King Green vs. Esteban Ribovics at lightweight, while Khaos Williams meets Roberto Soldic in a welterweight clash.

The middleweight division will also get some spotlight, with Ateba Gautier taking on Roman Kopylov.

As for Valentina Shevchenko, it’s all about recovery now. ‘Bullet’ is stepping away from the title picture for the time being, but the door is still wide open for her to come back, make her run, and chase the belt she just gave up. And who knows, maybe she will get it back in the fashions fans have been dying to see so far.