Fresh off the defining victory of her mixed martial arts career, Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight titleholder Natalia Silva is wasting no time addressing her critics, her predecessor, and the lingering debates surrounding her championship-winning performance.
Silva captured the vacant UFC women’s flyweight championship on October 3, putting on a masterclass of skill and pacing to defeat Cong Wang by a decisive unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 332, which took place in Salt Lake City, Utah. The victory not only handed the Brazilian standout the premier 125-pound belt in the organization, but it also extended her impressive winning streak inside the Octagon to nine consecutive bouts. Looking at the bigger picture, the triumph stretches her phenomenal overall professional winning streak to an astonishing 15 fights in a row, solidifying her status as one of the most dominant forces in modern combat sports.
Yet, despite the definitive nature of the victory and the championship gold now resting on her shoulder, Silva has found herself fielding a series of post-fight narratives questioning the manner in which she secured the belt. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sherdog, the newly crowned champion addressed several major developments that have dominated headlines since UFC 332, including Wang’s post-fight complaints, UFC CEO Dana White’s assessment of the championship bout, and an early warning shot fired by former division queen Valentina Shevchenko.
Natalia Silva Disputes Cong Wang’s Eye-Poke Claim and Dana White’s UFC 332 Assessment
The immediate aftermath of UFC 332 saw Cong Wang voice her frustrations regarding a controversial moment early in the championship matchup. In a video posted to social media shortly after the event concluded, the challenger claimed that an eye poke suffered in the early rounds severely hampered her vision and significantly affected her overall performance inside the Octagon.
Silva, however, firmly pushed back against the Chinese flyweight’s account of the incident. According to the champion, the contact was entirely accidental, legal, and nowhere near as impactful as it was subsequently framed on digital platforms.
"I saw what she said after the fight. She said my finger brushed against her eye, but my hand was closed," Silva explained during her interview with Sherdog. "It wasn’t an illegal eye poke, as it ended up being portrayed online."
The controversy extended beyond the fighter’s camp when UFC CEO Dana White offered a critical assessment of the championship bout during his post-fight media obligations. White suggested that Wang would likely look back on her performance with deep regret after watching the tape, implying that the challenger failed to rise to the occasion of a world title opportunity.
Silva, however, took exception to the idea that the competitive nature of the fight was solely the result of a sub-par performance from her opponent. Instead, the Brazilian championed her own tactical execution, arguing that her comprehensive game plan was specifically designed to neutralize Wang’s offensive capabilities and make any opponent look ordinary.
"I talked about that with my coach," Silva added, shedding light on the meticulous preparation that goes into her training camps. "Master always tells me that whenever I win, people criticize my opponent as if she were a bad fighter, but that’s not it. Our strategy is so well executed that we’re able to impose our game plan and the opponent can’t do what she had planned to do."
That level of tactical discipline has been the hallmark of Silva’s career, which now features a flawless run under the UFC banner. By systematically shutting down her adversaries’ primary weapons, the Brazilian has transformed elite contenders into frustrated puzzle-solvers, a phenomenon that has sometimes masked just how thoroughly she is dominating the action from bell to bell.
While managing the fallout from her championship victory, Silva was also forced to field a very different kind of challenge from the division’s recent past. Former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, who was forced to vacate the 125-pound title due to injury, quickly weighed in on the crowning of a new champion. "Bullet" Shevchenko offered public congratulations to Silva, but followed the pleasantry with a clear warning: telling the newly minted champion to keep the belt warm until her eventual return to full health and active competition.
Silva, known for her polite demeanor outside the cage, showed no hesitation in pushing back against Shevchenko’s tone. Addressing the former champion directly, the new titleholder made it abundantly clear that she views the division’s hierarchy entirely differently.
"Thank you very much for watching the fight, now that you have time to follow the division," Silva continued, offering a sharp retort to the veteran’s remarks. "Pero there’s something wrong with what she said. The belt isn’t hers; it’s mine."
Silva pointed to the history of matchmaking in the division to justify her stance, noting that she had long sought a high-stakes booking against Shevchenko only for circumstances and organizational direction to point elsewhere. The Brazilian emphasized the patience she displayed while navigating the upper echelon of the flyweight rankings.
"I waited a long time for Valentina. I was supposed to fight her, but the UFC gave me Alexa Grasso in May 2025, and then they gave me Namajunas in January," Silva explained, referencing a demanding stretch of top-tier opposition that ultimately paved the way for her title shot. "Now she wants to fight? That’s fine. She can just get in line."
With her status as the undisputed queen of the UFC women’s flyweight division firmly established, Silva is already looking well into the future. Despite taking home the championship belt in dominant fashion at UFC 332, the newly crowned titleholder has indicated that she intends to enjoy her hard-earned status and manage her body before stepping back into the Octagon for her inaugural title defense, which she currently plans to make in 2027.
As the flyweight division enters a brand-new era, Natalia Silva has made it unequivocally clear that she is not merely holding the belt for a returning legend. She intends to dictate the terms of her championship reign, starting from the back of the line for anyone hoping to take her crown.
