Natalia Silva Eyes History: Three Brazilian Women's Belts by 2026

Natalia Silva thinks Brazil is about to own every women's belt the UFC has. She fights Wang Cong this Saturday in Salt Lake City for the vacant flyweight title, and if she wins, she'll need only Amanda Nunes to beat Kayla Harrison on Nov. 14 to complete the set alongside strawweight champ Mackenzie Dern. That's three Brazilian women holding gold at the same time.

Silva isn't hedging. She told reporters she fully believes it'll happen, calling three simultaneous Brazilian champions a milestone for women's MMA and the country as a whole. Her confidence has some receipts behind it: she's 8-0 under the UFC banner and ran through three former champions in a row to get here, outpointing Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas on the cards.

The Path She Took

This title shot opened up after Valentina Shevchenko vacated the belt to treat an injury. Wang Cong earned her spot opposite Silva by beating Tracy Cortez, her fourth consecutive win inside the promotion. Silva said she prepared for the toughest fight of her career no matter who was standing across from her, insisting Wang is every bit as dangerous as Shevchenko.

On the asterisk question — winning a title Shevchenko didn't lose — Silva doesn't entertain it. She said if she wins, she's the undisputed champion, full stop, and that she can always settle things with Shevchenko later if the former champ wants it. The belt, as she put it, wasn't handed to her. Whether Shevchenko returns at 125 or chases a second belt at bantamweight is still unclear.

Nunes Holds the Other Key

The whole plan hinges just as much on Nunes, who co-headlines UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden against reigning bantamweight champ Harrison. Nunes sits at 23-5 with 13 knockouts, and a win would put her back on top of a division she's defined. Silva said she trusts Nunes has everything needed to finish the job.

Silva's framing is pure visualization. She described herself as the quiet kid from Minas Gerais who always announced she came to be champion, even if nobody listened closely. In her head, she said, she's already living that moment — Saturday is just the part where the rest of the world catches up.