Natalia Silva Wins UFC 332 Flyweight Title as Valentina Shevchenko Vows Return

Q: After an explosive record-setting night of knockouts at UFC 332, does Payton Talbott's dominant finish guarantee a title shot?

No. Payton Talbott’s finish does not guarantee a title shot, even if it makes him impossible to ignore. Talbott strengthened his case dramatically at UFC 332 by stopping former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in 2:09 of the first round, just months after beating Henry Cejudo. Back-to-back wins over former champions, especially in such dominant fashion, elevate him from rising prospect to serious bantamweight contender. His post-fight callout of Sean O’Malley also shows he is already aiming at the division’s biggest names. But a guarantee is a different standard. Figueiredo entered on a poor run, having lost five of his past six, and he was ranked outside the very top tier at bantamweight. That makes the win impressive, but not automatically title-shot clinching. Talbott also still lacks a victory over a current top-five bantamweight, which often remains the key separator in UFC matchmaking. The division’s traffic matters, too. Petr Yan is the reigning bantamweight champion, and the immediate contender picture includes elite names such as Merab Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov, Song Yadong, and Sean O’Malley. Depending on results and timing, the UFC may prefer to match Talbott with one more top contender in a No. 1 contender bout rather than send him straight into a championship fight. So Talbott’s finish likely puts him one fight away, and possibly in the title conversation right now, but it does not by itself lock in the next shot.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 4

Natalia Silva left UFC 332 as the new women’s flyweight champion after a clear-cut main-event win over Wang Cong.
Valentina Shevchenko immediately re-entered the picture, breaking her silence after the title change and promising to return for the belt she says is hers.
Payton Talbott delivered the card’s other biggest result, overwhelming former champion Deiveson Figueiredo in the co-main event.
Elsewhere at UFC 332, King Green kept protesting his stoppage loss to Esteban Ribovics while Roberto Soldic’s octagon debut added to a card that reshaped multiple storylines.