Dana White Reacts to Natalia Silva’s UFC 332 Win, Reveals His Take on the Rising Prospect
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Dana White reacts to Natalia Silva’s UFC 332 title win, criticizes Wang Cong’s approach and urges Silva to stay active.
Natalia Silva recently became the UFC women's flyweight champ at UFC 332. However, UFC CEO Dana White believes that Wang Cong left the biggest opportunity of her career on the table. He also clearly stated his expectations for Silva as she proceeds to reign at 125 pounds.
Dana White Believes Wang Cong Missed Her Chance
Silva emerged victorious over Cong by unanimous decision in the UFC 332 main event on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The judges scored the five-round fight 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, handing over the vacant championship to Silva.
However, White believes that Wang allowed the fight to slip from her hands by taking too long to increase her pressure. Meanwhile, Silva had control over most of the early action with her speed and movement.
“I think that when Wang goes back and watches the film, she's gonna hate herself. You know, I think that if she had stepped on the gas a little earlier, you know, it would have been a completely different fight. It was close,” White said.
Wang had entered the matchup with four straight wins and an opportunity at claiming her first UFC championship. However, Silva was able to build an early advantage with her ability to control the distance and movement. That said, Wang found more success later on in the fight, but it was already too late.
Subsequently, Wang revealed that an unfortunate eye poke during the opening round impaired her vision, contributing to her slow start.
White Wants Silva to Stay Active
The recent win extends Silva's winning streak to 15, moving her UFC record to 9-0. The Brazilian has now added a championship to her resume which already featured wins over former champions like Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso, and Jessica Andrade.
Former champion Valentina Shevchenko was forced the vacate the title due to a sudden injury, which Silva successfully won. Later on, Shevchenko congratulated Silva for her win; however, she made it absolutely clear that she intended to return for the championship.
White, however, wants Silva to remain active rather than wait for Shevchenko.
"Yeah, I think she should be active, " he stated.
With Silva now proudly holding the belt, the flyweight division might be moving forward with a title defense, as Shevchenko is working her way towards a comeback.
