Natalia Silva claims she has a promised title shot against Valentina Shevchenko after UFC 324
UFC flyweight contender Natalia Silva believes she has earned the right to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC flyweight championship.
Last Saturday night, Natalia Silva went head to head with Rose Namajunas in a fight that, in many ways, was billed as a number one contender bout. Both women made it clear that they wanted to take on Valentina Shevchenko if they secured the victory, and in the end, it was Silva who managed to get the nod over the former two-time strawweight champion.
Natalia Silva has been on a steady rise up through the rankings for quite some time now, and it’s hard to argue against her being the right fit for a championship opportunity. Now, it all comes down to what the UFC wants to book, and whether or not Shevchenko is willing to welcome the challenge – which we imagine she will.
In her post-fight press conference appearance, Natalia Silva had the following to say about her future.
Natalia Silva gears up for possible title shot
“That’s what should happen, and that’s what the UFC told me – that I was going to get a title fight,” Silva said through a translator at her UFC 324 post-fight news conference. “Listen: I accepted the fight when the UFC came calling. I don’t know what happened to Alexa. I understand she was injured and couldn’t be here, and (me fighting) was to save the event.
“When the UFC called me and said, ‘This is what you’re going to do,’ I didn’t have to accept this fight. I accepted this fight on short notice. There wasn’t much time to prepare for it. I accepted the fight, I did what I needed to do, and I expect and trusted the UFC – and I hope they follow on that promise because I should be the next one to fight for the title. That’s the fight I expect to get next.”
“My birthday is coming up. It’s on Feb. 3,” Silva said. “That would be an amazing gift. I think Dana should give to me as a gift because think about it: I accepted this fight on short notice, high risk. I did what I needed to do. It would be a tremendous birthday gift to get the call to fight in the White House against Valentina.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
