Fight Coverage
Matchup Spotlight | Natalia Silva vs Rose Namajunas
Top 10 Flyweights Clash In A High-Stakes Matchup To Kick Off Our 2026 Slate
With flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko easily defending her throne last November against former strawweight champion Zhang Weili it begged the question of who would be the next one to face her? Brazil’s Natalia Silva was in the list of names for her next fight after her win against former champ Alexa Grasso last May in Montreal. But when opportunity comes knocking, sometimes you must take it.
That’s the case for Saturday’s flyweight matchup between Silva and former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. “Thug Rose” was originally scheduled to face Grasso on the first card of the Paramount+ era, but when Grasso withdrew from the fight, it was Silva’s number they called, and she answered. Penciled in for the second fight of the UFC 324 main card, it should be an intriguing flyweight matchup and could determine the next contender for “Bullet”.
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Before they make the walk inside T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night, let’s take a closer look at this 125-pound showdown.
After losing the strawweight belt to Carla Esparza back in 2022, Namajunas took some time away from the sport, with some questioning if she would ever return. In September 2023, she returned, albeit in a new division. She dropped her flyweight debut to former title challenger Manon Fiorot but has since gone 3-1 in her new weight class with her most recent win coming last June against Miranda Maverick.
Her only loss in the division since falling to Fiorot is against Erin Blanchfield, who is currently sitting at No. 3 in the division, and a name many think could be in the title conversation soon as well. The caliber of talent Namajunas has faced is levels above Silva, with over 10 years of UFC experience under her belt, and victories against athletes such as Jessica Andrade, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and Zhang Weili.
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On the flip side, Silva has been perfect since she made her UFC debut back in 2022 against Jasmine Jasudavicius. Following her debut win, the Brazilian went on to earn her first Performance of the Night bonus with a spinning back kick knockout against Tereza Bleda to close out her 2022 campaign.
The 28-year-old would go on to secure two wins over Victoria Leonardo and Andrea Lee in 2023 and continue the momentum in 2024, where she defeated Viviane Araujo and then Jessica Andrade in a Fight of the Night-winning performance.
Her lone fight against Grasso last May was her best to date, and it marked her seventh win in the Octagon, extending her win streak to 13 overall. As in her previous outings, Silva utilized her movement and speed to pick away at Grasso, who was unable to find a rhythm throughout the 15 minutes.
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On paper, Silva has the higher percentages when it comes to the statistics, however, the two are similar when it comes to striking accuracy. For the Brazilian, it is 46.2 percent, with 41.6 percent for Namajunas. Silva does have the edge in the strikes landed at per minute at 5, which is nearly two more than the American at 3.60.
If things get to the mat, it’ll be interesting to see how things play out between these two. Namajunas does have the higher takedown accuracy between the two with 50 percent, but Silva’s defense is 92 percent.
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With Silva having a taekwondo background and Namajunas having shown her boxing abilities, it feels like this one will play out on the feet. In her last victory against Maverick, Namajunas was proud of her jiu-jitsu game and said that sometimes people forgot how much of a threat she is on the ground. A handful of her early victories came by submission.
It should be a good one between highly ranked flyweights with potential title implications on the line. A new era has arrived inside the Octagon, and you don’t want to miss the first event on Paramount+ live from the fight capital of the world.
UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 24, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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