Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, UFC 306 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Before the UFC crowns a new women’s flyweight champion at UFC 332, we look back at the short but notable history of the title.
This Saturday at UFC 332, surging flyweight contender Nátalia Silva will face promotional upstart Wang Cong to crown a new champion in the 125lb division, just the fourth in the history of the weight class.
The fact that the number is so low is notable alone. The division opened up in late 2017, giving it roughly nine years of operation from the title fight this Saturday. By comparison, the men’s lightweight division has had four different undisputed champions in just the past five years, nearly half that time. But just because the division has not had a wide host of women at the top does not mean that it hasn’t provided some of the most intriguing characters and storylines of the past decade.
The UFC made the decision to crown a new champion and open the weight class in 2017 through Season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter. The promotion had been successful through this method before, opening the strawweight division in a similar manner several years prior through the reality show. The show saw coaches Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez lead the 16 women to the finale that took place on December 01, 2017.
A debut befitting of a champion.
Montano looks every bit the champ in TUF Finale main event: https://t.co/i8jwbDHcEI #TUFFinale pic.twitter.com/ah7qS3X0VB
— UFC (@ufc) December 4, 2017
But where the strawweight season of TUF saw the experienced veteran ascend to become the inaugural UFC champion, season 26 saw one of the most notable runs by an upstart ever to win the competition. The 28 year-old Nicco Montano entered the show with a modest 3-2 record and was ranked #14 in the house when she was assigned to Team Gaethje. She bested veterans and future longtime UFC veterans Lauren Murphy and Montana De La Rosa (née Stewart) and later the second ranked and first overall pick Barb Honchak to reach the finale. In the championship bout, Montano outlasted a veteran of over 20 fights at the time in winning a decision against her teammate and the top-ranked woman in the house in Roxanne Roman (née Modafferi).
Unfortunately, the run by Montano would come to an end shortly thereafter. Montano had a nine month layoff before what was to be her first title defense, against Valentina Shevchenko, but was forced out of the bout the morning before the fight after suffering health complications during her weight cut. She was subsequently stripped of the title so that the vacant belt could be contested for three months later. A suspension for testing positive for ostarine later that year and more lingering health issues kept Montano out of the cage until she was finally able to fight again in 2019. In the end, she would go on to have only one more UFC fight following her title win due to various health struggles and in what would have been her last UFC appearance she missed weight by seven pounds which cancelled the bout.
Valentina “The Bullet” Shevchenko was doing just fine in her UFC career at 135 lbs going into 2017. Widely regarded as the best female bantamweight not named Amanda Nunes, Shevchenko had notched several high profile victories prior to the opening of the flyweight division. While many had considered 125lbs her optimal weight class, the fact that the UFC had not opened it and she was doing well kept her from making the move. Following a razor close split-decision loss in the rematch to Nunes for the bantamweight title, the time was finally right for Shevchenko to drop down in 2018.
Few have done it like Valentina Shevchenko 😤@BulletValentina looks to recapture the flyweight title at #UFC306!
[ @RiyadhSeason #NocheUFC live SATURDAY on @ESPNPlus PPV ] pic.twitter.com/8GKEusKWLH
— UFC (@ufc) September 10, 2024
Since then, Shevchenko has gone on a run that many have argued has shown her to be the most talented female fighter of all-time. She went on to win the now vacant belt in a fight against former Muay Thai foe Joanna Jędrzejczyk in December of 2018 where she bested the Polish legend once again. More greatness soon followed: her finishes of Jessica Eye and former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade, Kaitlyn Cerminara (née Chookagian), and Lauren Murphy all testaments to her abilities. Her routs of future longtime Bellator champion Liz Carmouche and Jennifer Maia allowed her to display the various nuances of skills at her disposal.
Her dominance made the next chapter all the more electrifying when it began. It appeared that “The Bullet” would be on her way to staying on top until age or injury caught up to her. Instead, she was on the wrong side of one of the biggest upsets in UFC history when she dropped the belt to Alexa Grasso in 2023. The fact that it came by submission also added to the feat considering Grasso is far more known for her striking than her grappling.
Once one of the youngest prospects on the roster, Grasso’s crowning achievement came at a golden time in the sport for her native Mexico. Her victory came at a time when her countrymen Brandon Moreno and Yair Rodriguez had also claimed UFC gold and with Grasso there were then three fighters from the country holding titles simultaneously. Timing would also grant her two great opportunities. Moreno and Rodriguez would be booked (and lost) earlier that summer and that left Grasso to headline the first Noche UFC event later in September. The card was scheduled and presented as celebration of the combat sports athletes from Mexico on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
That summer in 2023, Grasso and Shevchenko fought to a draw in an immediate rematch of their March bout at the end of what was a hugely successful night for the UFC. Fans had gravitated toward the marketing and presentation of Noche UFC and many felt that the rematch saw Grasso retain the belt (by default) on a night where Shevchenko had done enough to earn a close decision and regain the title.
Viva Mexico 🇲🇽@AlexaGrasso looks to make another statement in the rematch Saturday night!#NocheUFC | SATURDAY | Live on ESPN+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/PcinhvPILL
— UFC (@ufc) September 11, 2023
One could argue the controversial result led to one of the best opportunities for Grasso and the women’s flyweight division. The UFC, unbeknownst to the public, put gears in motion for what would be their most ambitious event ever (at the time) with a fight card taking place at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Mexican Independence Day weekend the following year. Being the only Mexican title holder left, the UFC prioritized booking Grasso on the card for the trilogy against Shevchenko. It remains, arguably, the highest profile booking for any women’s fight in the history of the UFC. The Noche UFC event at The Sphere was a critical success that took home multiple Emmys for the broadcast.
As it were, the belt would change hands again as Shevchenko routed Grasso for a seminal victory that returned the flyweight title to her. At 36 years-old, adding Grasso to her resume added another feather to a cap that was now overflowing in abundance. If it appeared that Shevchenko might’ve been slowing down, she has since shown that she remains ahead of the field. In 2025, she defended the belt against top contender Manon Fiorot and against fellow pound-for-pound great Zhang Weili who moved up in an unsuccessful bid to become a two-division champion. Shevchenko with the victories has also become the first champion to fill the full plate of rubies on the latest iteration of the UFC title belt.
It is also what has made her latest injury all the more heartbreaking. After nearly a year layoff, it was announced that Shevchenko had suffered an injury prior to the announcement of the bout headlining this Saturday’s card and would be vacating the title as it would be too long in-between fights to hold up the division.
This Saturday will see quite the contrast and align the division for the next year to come. At the top of the division, there is a split of young talent and established veterans. Silva (29) and Erin Blanchfield (27) have yet to hit their 30’s while Cong (34), Jasmine Jasudavicius (37), Grasso (33) and Shevchenko (38) are all approaching or past the dreaded 35 year-old mark.
FOR FLYWEIGHT GOLD 🏆@NataliaSilvaUFC vs Wang Cong
[ #UFC332 | OCT 3 | LIVE at 8pmET on @ParamountPlus and @CBS ] pic.twitter.com/uKV2zeKhJw
— UFC (@ufc) September 29, 2026
Should Silva win the title, she will complete a meteoric rise that has seen her best two former champions and finish a nine fight run to get to the belt. Cong would be complete a transition from kickboxing to MMA with a 6-1 run to get to a UFC title. Whether the winner will face Shevchenko in their next bout or the winner of Blanchfield vs Jasudavicius who fight next month will remain to be seen. But they will have added a new page to the history of the premiere weight class for the women.