Valentina Shevchenko vacates UFC flyweight title due to shoulder and back injuries

Valentina Shevchenko has officially vacated the UFC women’s flyweight championship following reports of injuries to the ligaments in her shoulder and back. Her coach, Pavel Fedotov, confirmed the decision after the team determined a recovery period of approximately eight months would be necessary. Consequently, the previously scheduled title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Natalia Silva on October 3 has been canceled. The UFC has reconfigured the UFC 332 main event in Salt Lake City to feature Natalia Silva against Wang Cong for the now-vacant flyweight belt. While Fedotov indicated that Valentina Shevchenko intends to compete for the championship upon her eventual return, the UFC has recently trended toward asking injured titleholders to relinquish their belts rather than booking interim championship bouts.

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