Shevchenko Out Of UFC 332 As Matchmakers Scramble

Valentina Shevchenko has withdrawn from UFC 332 due to injury, according to multiple reports, leaving the promotion without a headliner less than a month before the October 3rd card in Salt Lake City.

The women's flyweight champion was set to defend her title against top contender Natalia Silva in what was expected to be the main event, BJPenn.com reports. Ag.Fight first broke the news of Shevchenko's injury, though the nature of the injury remains undisclosed.

UFC 332 Main Event Options Dwindle

Shevchenko has not competed since stopping Zhang Weili at UFC 322 last year. Silva had positioned herself as the clear No. 1 contender after recent wins over former titleholders Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso, and Jessica Andrade.

Whether Silva will remain on the card for a potential interim title bout is unclear. The promotion had also considered an interim light heavyweight title fight for UFC 332 during champion Carlos Ulberg's injury recovery, but nothing materialized.

The highest-profile bout currently on the card features bantamweights Payton Talbott and Deiveson Figueiredo. A women's bantamweight clash between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes could serve as a main event option, though Harrison is reportedly coming off neck surgery and would need time to cut to 135 pounds.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — REPORT: Valentina Shevchenko OUT of rumored UFC 332 headliner as matchmakers scramble