Silva beat Wang Cong by unanimous decision, improving to 9-0 and claiming the vacant title. According to MMA Fighting, the fight took place on Saturday, October 3.

According to Bloody Elbow, Silva pushed back on a reported UFC assurance that Shevchenko would be next in line for a shot at the belt, saying there is no guarantee of that. Silva's response, as covered by Sherdog, Yahoo Sports and MMA Fighting, was blunt: Shevchenko needs to get in line like anyone else.

Silva also used the moment to address Cong's claim that she was poked in the eye during the fight, along with Dana White's own assessment of how the title bout played out.

The numbers back up just how dominant Silva's run has been. Our Elo model has her rated 1621 across eight bouts, the best mark of anyone involved in this storyline. Shevchenko, the number one ranked flyweight in the division, sits at 1563 over four bouts, while Cong, ranked eighth, rates 1569 across seven bouts despite the loss to Silva.

The exchange has fans buzzing well beyond the title picture itself. Whether Shevchenko actually gets the next crack at 125 pounds or has to wait behind other contenders is shaping up to be the next big question for the division.