Natalia Silva Fires Back at Valentina Shevchenko: The Belt Is Mine
The new UFC flyweight champion told Valentina Shevchenko to get in line after the former champ said to keep the belt warm.
Natalia Silva is not interested in holding anyone's spot. The new UFC women's flyweight champion fired back at Valentina Shevchenko after the former long-reigning titleholder told her to "keep the belt warm" until she returns from injury.
Silva won the vacant 125-pound title at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City last Saturday, beating Cong Wang by unanimous decision to extend her winning streak to 15 consecutive victories, nine of them in the UFC. She is already looking ahead, per Sherdog, and Shevchenko is not getting any special treatment.
"The belt isn't hers, it's mine," Silva said. She thanked Shevchenko sarcastically for watching, adding, "now that you have time to follow the division." Silva said she had waited a long time for the Shevchenko fight, but the UFC booked "Bullet" against Alexa Grasso in May 2025 and then against Rose Namajunas in January instead. Now that Shevchenko wants the fight, Silva's message was clear: "She can just get in line."
Silva also addressed Cong Wang's claim that an early eye poke affected her performance. "My hand was closed," Silva said, calling it a brush of her finger and disputing that it was an illegal strike. She pushed back on Dana White's suggestion that Wang would regret her performance upon rewatching, saying her game plan was designed to neutralize Wang's offense.
Silva said she plans to make her first title defense in 2027.
I've been watching Natalia Silva climb since her early UFC fights, and this is the right energy for a new champion. Shevchenko dominated 125 for years, but she vacated the belt because of injury. You don't get to hand it back to yourself.
Silva's 15-fight win streak is no joke. She beat everyone in front of her and earned that gold the hard way. Telling Shevchenko to get in line is not disrespect, it's the truth. There's a whole division of contenders who have been active while Bullet sat out.
The 2027 timeline for a first defense is a little concerning. I'd love to see her stay active, but I understand wanting to enjoy the moment and heal up. When she does come back, Shevchenko makes sense as the big-money fight. Just don't expect Silva to play the grateful challenger. She knows whose belt it is.
