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Natalia Silva captured the vacant UFC women's flyweight championship on Oct. 3, defeating Wang Cong by unanimous decision in the UFC 332 main event. The 29-year-old Brazilian improved her record to 21-5-1 and ascended from No. 5 to No. 4 in the ESPN women's pound-for-pound rankings released Oct. 7.
The flyweight division now dominates the pound-for-pound list, with seven representatives in the top 10. UFC fighters Alexa Grasso (18-5-1), Manon Fiorot, and Erin Blanchfield (14-3) join Silva among the ranked, alongside PFL standout Dakota Ditcheva (16-0).
Valentina Shevchenko (26-4-1) remains atop the rankings despite vacating the UFC title last month due to shoulder and back injuries. She last competed Nov. 15, 2025, when she defeated Zhang Weili (26-4), who holds the No. 2 spot. Zhang, a two-time former strawweight champion, fell to Shevchenko in that flyweight bout.
UFC women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison is ineligible for the rankings because she has not fought since June 2025. Harrison is scheduled to return Nov. 14 at UFC 334 against Amanda Nunes. Rankings eligibility requires competition within the past 12 months or a booked upcoming fight.
Source: ESPN - Sat Oct 17, 11:17 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).