Natalia Silva is champion. On Saturday in Salt Lake City, the Brazilian beat Wang Cong by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) in the UFC 332 main event and claimed the vacant women’s flyweight belt. She dropped the Chinese fighter in rounds 1 and 2, then held off her late rally in round 5. It is her 1st UFC title.
Key takeaways
- Natalia Silva beats Wang Cong by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) and becomes UFC women's flyweight champion.
- The Brazilian stays unbeaten in the UFC, 9 wins in 9 fights, and moves to 21-5-1 overall.
- The belt had been vacant since Valentina Shevchenko gave it up through injury in September.
Natalia Silva is champion: 5 rounds, 2 faces
A very clear start
Silva imposed her speed and footwork from round 1. She dropped Wang early in the fight, then controlled her against the cage with knees and elbows.
The head kick
In round 2, a head kick put the Chinese fighter down again. Silva took top position on the ground and landed punches before standing back up. In round 3, CBS Sports noted a striking ratio of roughly 4 to 1 in her favor.
Wang’s rally
Wang applied more pressure late in round 4, then found her rhythm in round 5, where her power shots appeared to hurt Silva. It came too late to close the gap. 2 judges scored it 48-47, the last one 49-46.
A vacant belt finds its owner
After Shevchenko
The title had been vacant since September, when Valentina Shevchenko gave up her belt through injury. Silva and Wang were picked to fight for it in the main event in Salt Lake City.
What the new champion says
On the microphone, Silva announced the start of her era and called herself the new queen of the division.
The records
Silva now has 21 wins, 5 losses and a draw, including 9 wins in 9 UFC fights. Wang sees her 4-fight winning streak end and drops to 10-2.
This is the beginning of the time of Natalia Silva. I'm the new queen.
A record night in Salt Lake City
9 stoppages in round 1
According to ESPN, UFC 332 featured 9 knockouts in round 1 and 11 finishes in total, a record for a card in the promotion. Roman Kopylov, Johnny Walker and Payton Talbott were among them.
The one decision that mattered
The main event was among the few fights to go the distance. We had defended this matchup when it was criticized: it lasted 5 rounds, with a contested finish.
Follow the division
The new champion’s profile, her updated record and our women’s flyweight rating are in the FightHub app.
- Roman Kopylov pulls off the upset: Ateba Gautier stopped in round 1 at UFC 332
- Johnny Walker knockout: Mick Parkin put out by a knee in round 1 at UFC 332
- Ateba Gautier, 5-0 in the UFC, faces his biggest test against Roman Kopylov at UFC 332
- Johnny Walker moves up to heavyweight at UFC 332 against Mick Parkin after years of brutal weight cuts
