Natalia Silva’s Stronger Final Round Kept Namajunas
Natalia Silva defeated Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision on January 24, 2026, at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. Every judge scored the flyweight contest 29–28 after a closely contested fifteen minutes at T-Mobile Arena, extending Silva’s unbeaten UFC run to eight appearances.
A late opponent change produced a high-level flyweight test
Silva replaced the injured Alexa Grasso against former strawweight champion Namajunas. The official weigh-in listed Silva at 126 pounds and Namajunas at 125.5.
The opening round featured considerable movement and feints but relatively few clean connections. Namajunas’s footwork made Silva work to find her range, while both looked for opportunities without overcommitting.
Namajunas’s wrestling helped secure the middle round
Namajunas increased her effectiveness in the second and completed a takedown. Top position gave her a meaningful stretch of control, although Silva avoided heavy damage and continued looking for a route back up.
That success left the fight finely balanced. Silva needed a stronger response in the final round rather than relying on an unmistakable lead from the first ten minutes.
Greater urgency and a late takedown favored Silva
Silva became more assertive with her kicks and combinations in the third. She resisted a Namajunas entry and completed a throw of her own late in the frame.
The judges all preferred Silva in the opening and final rounds, awarding the unanimous verdict. The win extended her overall streak to fourteen and preserved her position among the leading contenders in the women’s flyweight division.
Sources
- UFC: official results and scores
- UFC: date, venue and weights
- Cageside Press: middle-round takedown and final-round response
- UFC: Grasso withdrawal and replacement
