UFC 332 finally has its main event set for October 3rd at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, but don’t get too hyped up, because it’s the vacant women’s flyweight championship headlining the show after Valentina Shevchenko was announced as injured and likely sidelined for up to a year. This news came just days after reports were flying around that Shevchenko vs. Silva would be the main event, then her injury leaked, and now we know the full severity. Talk about a brutal turn of events for the division!
Shevchenko’s Injury Rocks the Flyweight Division
Natalia Silva and Wang Cong are the fighters stepping up to make those final walks in Utah, battling for a belt that’s suddenly up for grabs. This whole situation is a massive blow, especially for a numbered card. Let’s be real, for a major UFC event, this main event announcement is incredibly underwhelming. There are no real superstars, no household names that make you drop everything and tune in. Yeah, the card probably has some fun fights, and Silva versus Cong is an intriguing stylistic matchup with both thriving on forward pressure and striking volume. Silva should be the more active striker, while Cong’s technique and precision will be huge for her. But on a numbered event, we expect huge, monumental clashes, not a vacant title fight born out of an injury, no matter how much respect we have for these athletes.
No Superstars, No Stakes: This Card Is Already a Bust
The impact of this main event’s lack of star power is already being felt. This will absolutely be the least-viewed numbered event in the Paramount+ era. And honestly, the main event isn’t the entire problem. When you look at the full lineup, there isn’t one other fight on the card that has serious implications at the top of a weight class. That’s a huge issue for a numbered card! Sure, there were rumors swirling around earlier this year about Alex Pereira fighting Josh Hokit in the main event for UFC 332. That would’ve been a barn burner, a heavyweight showdown! But that rumor is officially debunked, which is a total bummer because that’s still the clear fight to make at heavyweight. Hokit has been taunting Pereira all year, even Glover Teixeira, Pereira’s coach, wants that fight.
While UFC 332 might feel like a letdown with its vacant title fight and general lack of star power, the good news is that huge fights are already getting lined up for November and December. Keep your eyes peeled for UFC 334, where heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall is expected to defend his title against interim champ Ciryl Gane. And hey, maybe we’ll finally get that Alex Pereira versus Josh Hokit brawl as the No. 1 contender fight and a killer co-main event on that same card. Now *that’s* something to look forward to!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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