Natalia Silva isn’t getting her title shot just yet, she’ll have to fight one more time, and it’s happening on one of the biggest stages of the year.
The UFC originally booked former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso against former strawweight queen Rose Namajunas for a high-profile showdown on Jan. 24, 2026. However, on Wednesday, MMAFighting confirmed that Grasso had pulled out of the fight, opening the door for the No. 2–ranked Silva to step in.
Silva already looked like the clear next challenger for Valentina Shevchenko. Even the champ gave her flowers after her win at UFC 322. With a clean 7-0 run in the UFC and a recent unanimous decision victory over Alexa Grasso at UFC 315, Silva has been on a steady rise with real momentum behind her name.
Namajunas, a former two-time strawweight champ, made the full move to flyweight in 2023. She’s 3-2 at 125 pounds and is coming off a unanimous decision over Miranda Maverick at UFC Atlanta in June. UFC 324 goes down Jan. 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Former UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso has reportedly withdrawn from her fight with Rose Namajunas, just weeks before UFC 324 marks the promotion’s broadcast debut on Paramount+. As of now, the reason behind Grasso’s withdrawal is still unclear, along with her expected timeline for a return in 2026.
Grasso hasn’t picked up a win since dropping a unanimous decision to Natalia Silva at UFC 315. Her recent skid includes a trilogy loss to Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 306, making this withdrawal another setback for the former champ.
With Grasso out, Silva stepped up on short notice to face Namajunas, a move that shows exactly why she’s considered one of the most dangerous and active contenders in the division.
She was on track to challenge Shevchenko for the flyweight title after the champion’s impressive victory over Zhang Weili at UFC 322. But Silva chose the risk, proving once again that she’s built differently.
Silva hasn’t lost since 2017 and remains undefeated in her UFC run. Along the way, she’s dominated names like Jessica Andrade, Viviane Araujo, and Andrea Lee.
Namajunas, meanwhile, returns for her first fight since beating Miranda Maverick. She’s won three of her last four at flyweight, including solid victories over Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez.
UFC 324 is headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison facing UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Ribas in the co-main event.
