Natalia Silva defeats Wang Cong to capture vacant UFC flyweight title at UFC 332
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Natalia Silva defeats Wang Cong by unanimous decision at UFC 332 to capture the vacant UFC women’s flyweight title and extend her UFC win streak to nine.
Natalia Silva and Wang Cong squared off for the vacant women's flyweight title in the main event of UFC 332, as Valentina Shevchenko had vacated the title after suffering multiple injuries. The event took place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Silva entered UFC 332 on an eight-fight win streak in the UFC, while Cong entered on a four-fight win streak, all via decision. The Brazilian extended her win streak to nine by putting on an incredible performance against 'The Joker' to capture the vacant title.
Natalia Silva outpoints Wang Cong to become new UFC flyweight champion
Silva started fast, using her leg kicks and sharp left hooks to establish her range while constantly pressuring Wang. The Chinese fighter had moments with her striking, but Silva controlled much of the opening round. In the second, Silva produced the biggest moment of the fight when she dropped Wang with a head kick before taking her to the ground and briefly searching for a submission.
Wang bounced back in the third round. She landed combinations and caught Silva with counters that forced the Brazilian to fight more cautiously. That said, in the fourth round, both fighters didn't back down from throwing strikes and battled in the clinch. The 29-year-old remained active with her kicks and striking, while Wang continued to pressure her and refused to give the champion an easy fight.
Wang pushed forward in the fifth round and spent portions of the final five minutes controlling the center and pressuring Silva against the cage. However, Silva survived the late push and took the fight to the judges' scorecards, where she was awarded a unanimous decision victory, 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, to become the new UFC women's flyweight champion.
Silva's fighting style has yet to be cracked by any UFC fighter, and with the victory over Wang, she managed to retain her undefeated record in the promotion. She now holds a professional record of 21 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw.
As for her next challenge, it would probably be against former champion Shevchenko, who had to vacate the title due to injuries. It remains to be seen when the former champion will heal and recover fully enough to return to action, but it won't happen this year.
