The UFC women’s flyweight title is less than 9 years old and has had only 3 champions. Nicco Montaño was the 1st in 2017, Valentina Shevchenko held it 2 times and Alexa Grasso took it from her in between. This Saturday at UFC 332, Natália Silva and Wang Cong fight for the belt Shevchenko gave up through injury.
Key takeaways
- The UFC women's flyweight title (125 lb) was created in 2017: Nicco Montaño won it at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale before being stripped without defending it.
- Valentina Shevchenko won it in December 2018 against Joanna Jędrzejczyk, defended it against Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, Katlyn Chookagian, Jennifer Maia, Jessica Andrade and Lauren Murphy, then lost it to Alexa Grasso in March 2023.
- Shevchenko regained it in September 2024 at UFC 306, defended it against Manon Fiorot and Zhang Weili, then gave it up in 2026 through injury.
The UFC women's flyweight title, a young belt
Born on a TV show
The women’s flyweight division arrived in the UFC with season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter. On December 1, 2017, Nicco Montaño beat Roxanne Modafferi on points in the final and became the 1st champion.
A 1st champion with no defense
Montaño was set to face Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 228 but was hospitalized during her weight cut. She was stripped without ever defending the title.
3 champions in 9 years
Since then, only Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso have held the belt.
Valentina Shevchenko, the long reign
Crowned in 2018
On December 8, 2018, Shevchenko beat Joanna Jędrzejczyk on points for the vacant title. She then ruled the division for more than 4 years.
A run of defenses
She defended the belt against Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, Katlyn Chookagian, Jennifer Maia, Jessica Andrade and Lauren Murphy, among others.
The Grasso upset
In March 2023 at UFC 285, Alexa Grasso beat her by submission. Their rematch at Noche UFC in September 2023 ended in a draw, and Grasso kept the title.
She was subsequently stripped of the title so that the vacant belt could be contested for three months later.
From Shevchenko's return to UFC 332
Regained in 2024
On September 14, 2024, at UFC 306, Shevchenko beat Grasso on points in their 3rd fight and took the belt back.
2 defenses, then the withdrawal
She then beat Manon Fiorot and Zhang Weili in 2025. In 2026, injured, she gave up the belt before her scheduled fight with Natália Silva.
A 4th champion this Saturday
At UFC 332, Natália Silva and Wang Cong fight for the vacant title. The result and our weekly flyweight rating will be in the FightHub app as soon as the fight ends.
- Alexa Grasso beats Manon Fiorot in Glendale and takes the title shot Fiorot had already claimed
- Manon Fiorot has to get through Alexa Grasso, in Mexico, to get back to a title shot
- Noche UFC results: Moreno snaps his skid, McMillen survives a war and Blaydes outpoints Cortes-Acosta
- Jean Silva submits Jose Delgado with a one-armed choke at Noche UFC, then calls his shot at the belt
