Valentina Shevchenko Coach Reveals Shoulder And Back Injury Behind UFC Title Exit

Valentina Shevchenko finally has a more specific injury explanation attached to her UFC flyweight title exit. Her longtime coach, Pavel Fedotov, said shoulder and back ligament damage forced the former champion out of the planned Natalia Silva fight, giving the sudden Shevchenko news cycle a much sharper medical reason than the first public announcement provided. Fedotov gave the update to the Russian outlet Ushatayka. The original Telegram post is embedded below, followed by the complete statement and an English translation. Должны были драться 3-го с Силвой. Но в связи с травмой связок на плече и спине решили не форсировать и отложить бой. Говорят, что потребуется до восьми месяцев, чтобы связки полностью зажили. Поскольку восстановление займет длительное время, мы приняли решение временно оставить пояс и после восстановления вернуться за ним We were supposed to fight on the 3rd with Silva. But due to a ligament injury in the shoulder and back, we decided not to force things and to postpone the fight. They say it will take up to eight months for the ligaments to fully heal. Since the recovery will take a long time, we decided to temporarily leave the belt and return for it after recovery. Shevchenko Now Faces A Longer UFC Reset The key detail is the timeline. Fedotov said the ligaments may need up to eight months to heal fully, which explains why Shevchenko did not simply delay a defense by a few weeks. UFC 332 now moves ahead with Silva against Wang Cong for the vacant belt, while Shevchenko is positioned to chase it again once she is healthy enough to return. Paramount+ Sport Australia also highlighted the title vacancy on Instagram after the UFC broadcast announcement. The change is a major swing for the women's flyweight division. Shevchenko had been linked to Silva for the October 3 card in Salt Lake City, and that matchup had already shaped much of the UFC 332 title conversation. Instead, Silva gets Wang for the belt while Shevchenko moves from champion to sidelined former champion without taking another fight. Shevchenko's resume still makes her an immediate factor whenever she returns. She has nine UFC flyweight title defenses across her two title reigns, and her absence also opens a wider lane for contenders around the division, including fighters near the Noche UFC title picture. The UFC has not announced a return date for Shevchenko. Fedotov's update only makes the next step clearer: heal the shoulder and back injuries first, then try to reclaim the belt she temporarily left behind.