Natalia Silva Wins the Vacant Flyweight Title Over Wang Cong
Natalia Silva won a unanimous decision over Wang Cong to claim the vacant women’s flyweight title in the main event of UFC 332. The fight went the full 25 minutes on Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, and the belt left vacant by Valentina Shevchenko now belongs to Silva.
The official cards read 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47. Silva entered on a 14-fight winning streak at 20-5-1. Wang came in at 10-1, winner of four straight. Bruce Buffer raised Silva’s hand after the scores, and the cage graphic read official decision.
Wang threw more. Silva landed the cleaner work. Wang connected on 147 of 259 total strikes to Silva’s 133 of 240. Silva still led significant strikes, 109 of 216 to 98 of 206, and she scored the only knockdown. She also landed 3 of 5 takedowns and held 4:12 of control time to Wang’s 2:39. Neither woman attempted a submission.
The split in targets explained the cards. Silva was busier to the head and body. Wang won the leg-kick count, 34 of 56 to 17 of 22, and kept the fight standing for long stretches. The knockdown and the wrestling were enough to take every judge.
Silva moved to 21-5-1. Wang fell to 10-2.
The title was open because Shevchenko vacated it. Silva had been the name waiting on the other side of that decision, a Brazilian who had not lost since 2019 and had spent the streak finishing or outworking ranked flyweights. Wang was the other side of the argument, a Chinese striker who had not been finished and had not been asked to go 25 minutes for a belt.
She asked for it on volume. The total-strike edge was real. It did not travel to the scorecards once Silva added the knockdown and three takedowns. A vacant-title fight that stays close on output can still be clear on the things judges count.
Wang is the first name in the rematch conversation because she won the raw volume and lost a decision that two judges scored 48-47. The rest of the division now has a new champion instead of an open belt.
Silva leaves Salt Lake City as the undisputed flyweight champion with a five-round win on the résumé. The streak is 15. The title is no longer vacant.
