Shevchenko Out of Rumored UFC 332 Main Event
Valentina Shevchenko is out of the rumored UFC 332 main event with an injury, leaving matchmakers scrambling before the Oct. 3 card.
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UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is reportedly out of the rumored UFC 332 main event due to an injury, leaving the promotion without a headliner just a month before the October 3 card in Salt Lake City.
Shevchenko had not fought since beating Zhang Weili at UFC 322 last year, and the promotion was widely expected to book her title defense against surging contender Natalia Silva atop UFC 332 at the Delta Center. Silva has piled up wins over former champions Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso and Jessica Andrade, and she's the consensus No. 1 contender in the division. The nature of Shevchenko's injury has not been disclosed.
What Happens to Natalia Silva Now?
It's unclear whether Silva still fights on the UFC 332 card at all, let alone in an interim title bout. The promotion has not indicated a fallback plan for her, and with Shevchenko needing time to recover, an interim flyweight title fight remains speculation rather than a confirmed booking.
Why UFC 332 Still Has No Real Headliner
UFC 332 was already dealing with uncertainty at the top of the card before this news. An interim light heavyweight title fight had been floated to fill the void left by champion Carlos Ulberg's own injury absence, but that matchup never materialized either. That leaves Payton Talbott against Deiveson Figueiredo at bantamweight as arguably the most notable fight currently on the card, hardly the kind of matchup that usually anchors a numbered pay-per-view. A women's bantamweight fight between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes has been mentioned as a possibility, but Harrison is coming off neck surgery and would need real time to make the 135-pound limit, making a quick turnaround to headline status a tough ask.
Betting Angle
Sportsbooks can't hang a main-event number on UFC 332 until the promotion actually names one, and that uncertainty matters for anyone tracking the card. If Talbott-Figueiredo ends up being promoted to headliner by default, expect the total number of markets on the card, and the attention from bettors, to shrink compared to a title fight topping the bill. A Harrison-Nunes pairing would draw plenty of betting interest given both women's résumés, but Harrison's recovery timeline makes that fight harder to price with confidence right now. Until UFC 332 gets an official main event, the smartest move for bettors is to wait rather than guess.
UFC 332 remains one of the murkiest cards on the fall calendar, and the promotion is running out of time to sort it out before October 3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Valentina Shevchenko out of the UFC 332 main event?
Valentina Shevchenko is reportedly dealing with an injury that has forced her out of a rumored UFC 332 title fight against Natalia Silva, though the specific injury has not been disclosed.
When and where is UFC 332?
UFC 332 is scheduled for October 3 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
What is the current UFC 332 main event?
As of now UFC 332 has no officially confirmed main event, with a bantamweight bout between Payton Talbott and Deiveson Figueiredo currently the highest-profile fight on the card.
