Natalia Silva claimed the vacant UFC women’s flyweight title with a unanimous decision win over Wang Cong at UFC 332 on Saturday night in Salt Lake City’s Delta Center. After Valentina Shevchenko stepped away from the belt due to injury, Silva capitalised on the opening, extending her unbeaten UFC streak to nine fights and taking the championship with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.
Silva, now 21-5-1 overall and undefeated in the UFC, controlled much of the fight with speed and precision. Early rounds saw her land a notable head kick and a knockdown in the second round, setting a tone that gave her the edge on the judges’ scorecards. Michael Carroll, a UFC analyst, noted Silva’s knockdown was the 16th of the event, a new UFC record for a single fight card.
The fight remained competitive, however, with Wang Cong, whose record is 10-2 overall and 5-2 in the UFC, landing some heavy shots and pushing back in the third and fourth rounds. MMA commentator Aaron Bronsteter scored the bout 30-27 Silva after three rounds but acknowledged Wang’s best round came in the third, while also calling rounds four and five close contests. Some fans and fighters watching live expressed mixed views on social media about the fight’s closeness. Former champion Henry Cejudo tweeted that Silva was the quicker fighter and controlled the match, while others like Danny Segura scored the fight narrowly for Wang.
Wang’s power shots raised the stakes late, but Silva’s movement and defence, including apparent moments of running on her bike to recover, helped her maintain control. Merab Dvalishvili, an active UFC fighter, gave Silva the nod throughout, calling it “her fight to lose.” The judges agreed, handing Silva the unanimous decision and the flyweight strap.
With this victory, Silva becomes the fourth undisputed UFC women’s flyweight champion and ties Shevchenko’s record for the longest winning streak in the division’s history at nine consecutive wins. UFC’s official channels confirmed the result and crowned Silva the new champion, while the MMA community quickly offered congratulations and recognition of her achievement.
The fight was broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+, with coverage also available on City TV and Sportsnet Plus in Canada. Dana White reportedly welcomed the matchup, noting it was not a pay-per-view event but still delivered a compelling title fight.
Silva’s victory closes a chapter left open by Shevchenko’s absence and sets a new benchmark in the division. She now holds the belt after outpointing Wang in a contest that tested her pace and resilience across five rounds at UFC 332.
According to Yahoo Sports.
