{"id":426482,"date":"2026-01-22T19:36:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T19:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/426482\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T19:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T19:36:11","slug":"ufc-324-fight-will-decide-next-challenger-for-ufc-champion-valentina-shevchenko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/426482\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC 324 Fight Will Decide Next Challenger for UFC Champion Valentina Shevchenko"},"content":{"rendered":"

It looks like the next title defense for UFC Women\u2019s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko will officially be decided this weekend at UFC 324. <\/p>\n

A new era for the UFC officially starts this Saturday, as the promotion is set to return from a lengthy hiatus with a UFC 324 card in Las Vegas that serves as the first of seven years\u2019 worth of events that will be broadcast on Paramount<\/a>. <\/p>\n

UFC 324 unfortunately only features one title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett<\/a> following Kayla Harrison\u2019s withdrawal from the co-main event<\/a>, but the card does include several former UFC titleholders such as two-time Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas.<\/p>\n

Rose Namajunas Could Earn Crack At Second UFC Title<\/p>\n

Scheduled to take on #2-ranked women\u2019s flyweight contender Natalia Silva as part of the UFC 324 main card, Namajunas revealed during the event\u2019s media day<\/a> that she\u2019s been told a win over Silva would guarantee her the division\u2019s next title shot against Shevchenko.<\/p>\n

\"Valentina<\/p>\n

Valentina Shevchenko (red gloves) walks out before the womens flyweight championship bout against Zhang Weili (not pictured) during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still not too worried about definitely looking past this or anything, because we\u2019ve gotta stay one step at a time,” Namajunas said. “But it\u2019s definitely more motivating \u2013 and I don\u2019t need any more motivation, I just wanna win. And I\u2019m also very excited to face someone like Natalia.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: UFC 324 Star Responds to Claims That Paramount Deal Has Increased UFC Fighter Pay<\/a><\/p>\n

After falling to Carla Esparza in a fight to crown the inaugural UFC strawweight champion and close out Season 20 ofThe Ultimate Fighter, Namajunas eventually fought her way back to another title shot and took the promotion\u2019s 115 lbs. title from Joanna Jedrzejczyk via first-round knockout at UFC 217. <\/p>\n

\"Rose<\/p>\n

Rose Namajunas (red gloves) fights Miranda Maverick (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at State Farm Arena. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\u201cThug\u201d was unseated by Jessica Andrade in 2019 but reclaimed her belt at UFC 261 when she knocked out Weili Zhang. Following a disappointing loss to Esparza in their rematch at UFC 274, Namajunas moved up to the flyweight division in 2023 and has gone 3-2 overall, most recently taking a unanimous decision over Miranda Maverick last June.<\/p>\n

Natalia Silva Carries Undefeated Octagon Record Into UFC 324<\/p>\n

Grabbing the microphone after Namajunas during UFC 324 media day, Silva also said that the UFC has promised that the winner of her fight with with two-time champion will be next in line for a title shot. <\/p>\n

\"Alexa<\/p>\n

Alexa Grasso (red gloves) fights Natalia Silva (blue gloves) during UFC 315 at Bell Centre. | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to get a shot at the title before, but the UFC said that Valentina wasn\u2019t gonna be able to fight so soon,” Silva explained. “So, they offered Rose\u2019s name, and we said \u2018Yeah\u2019, we accepted it\u2026The UFC has said, this is an elimination fight, and the next one will be for the title.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Conor McGregor gives bizarre update on UFC contract status ahead of White House event<\/a><\/p>\n

Currently on a 13-fight win streak that includes seven-straight wins since joining the UFC in 2022, Silva defeated former strawweight titleholder Andrade in a \u201cFight of the Night\u201d-winning scrap in 2024 before she took a unanimous decision over former flyweight queen Alexa Grasso in her most recent outing at UFC 315. <\/p>\n

\"Valentina<\/p>\n

Valentina Shevchenko (red gloves) fights Zhang Weili (blue gloves) in the women’s flyweight championship bout during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Grasso famously submitted Shevchenko in the first fight of their eventual trilogy at UFC 285 in 2023. \u201cBullet\u201d reclaimed her title at UFC 306 after the pair fought to a draw in their second meeting, and she\u2019s now two title defenses into her second reign as champion<\/a> after taking decisions over Manon Fiorot and Weili Zhang, who vacated the strawweight belt to challenge Shevchenko in a double-champ bid at UFC 322. <\/p>\n

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