LAS VEGAS – It looks like Valentina Shevchenko has her next title challenger, and her name is Natalia Silva.
Silva (20-5-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC), an unbeaten contender in the women’s flyweight division, picked up a unanimous decision victory over former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (14-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) on the main card of Saturday’s UFC 324. Silva took the fight on short notice, replacing Alexa Grasso.
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According to the Brazilian, part of the incentive on taking the bout was a title shot against Shevchenko.
“That’s what should happen, and that’s what the UFC told me – that I was going to get a title fight,” Silva said through a translator at her UFC 324 post-fight news conference. “Listen: I accepted the fight when the UFC came calling. I don’t know what happened to Alexa. I understand she was injured and couldn’t be here, and (me fighting) was to save the event.
“When the UFC called me and said, ‘This is what you’re going to do,’ I didn’t have to accept this fight. I accepted this fight on short notice. There wasn’t much time to prepare for it. I accepted the fight, I did what I needed to do, and I expect and trusted the UFC – and I hope they follow on that promise because I should be the next one to fight for the title. That’s the fight I expect to get next.”
Shevchenko has yet to be booked for her next title defense. She last fought in November, when she defended her belt against Zhang Weili, who had vacated her strawweight belt to try to become a two-division champion at 125 pounds.
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Silva would like to get her shot at gold at the UFC’s scheduled event at The White House. The event is supposed to take place on June 14, the birthday of U.S. president Donald Trump.
“My birthday is coming up. It’s on Feb. 3,” Silva said. “That would be an amazing gift. I think Dana should give to me as a gift because think about it: I accepted this fight on short notice, high risk. I did what I needed to do. It would be a tremendous birthday gift to get the call to fight in the White House against Valentina.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Natalia Silva: UFC promised title shot with win over Rose Namajunas
