Natalia Silva refuses to see herself as favorite against Wang Cong
The Brazilian flyweight respects Wang Cong's striking skills but believes her MMA experience can help her find openings in the Chinese contender's game.
Natalia Silva is about to enter her first title fight. On Saturday, the Brazilian faces Wang Cong for the vacant flyweight title at UFC 332. Despite her impressive 14-fight winning streak, Silva does not see herself as the favorite against Cong. Instead, the Brazilian believes the matchup is evenly balanced and says she has prepared to exploit any openings in the Chinese contender's game.
Natalia Silva Doesn't See Herself as Favorite Against Wang Cong
Silva enters the matchup with plenty of momentum after winning all of her eight UFC fights. The Brazilian was originally supposed to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title, but the former champion was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury and vacate the belt. With Cong stepping in as her replacement, Silva will now face the Chinese contender for the vacant title.
Silva is considered the favorite to win the title, with the Brazilian entering the fight on a 14-fight winning streak and undefeated in the UFC. However, she does not believe the odds tell the whole story. Speaking to Ag Fight, Silva praised Cong as a dangerous and experienced fighter and said she sees the matchup as evenly balanced.
"When I step in to fight, I don't see any favoritism," Silva began. "I see it as 50-50, me and her. My mindset is always the same: I train focused on winning, no matter who I'm facing. The Chinese fighter is dangerous and has kickboxing experience, but MMA is a completely different sport. We studied all of her fights and worked on everything to take advantage of any openings that come up."
Natalia Silva responds to UFC 332 criticism
Following Shevchenko's withdrawal and Cong's addition to the title fight, some fans questioned the matchup. However, Silva has not allowed the outside discussion to affect her preparation.
"People can say whatever they want," Silva said. "There will always be someone criticizing something, no matter how good it is. That's their job, to talk. It doesn't make any difference to me. I'll get there and do my job. People will always want to say that you're not good enough or that you don't deserve something, but then they'll have to admit they were wrong."
Silva and Cong are expected to meet in the UFC 332 main event on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, with the UFC women's flyweight title on the line.
