Natalia Silva has a new title and a clear message for the UFC women’s flyweight division: she plans to keep busy. The Brazilian defeated Wang Cong by unanimous decision in the UFC 332 main event Saturday night at Salt Lake City’s Delta Center, claiming the vacant 125-pound championship by scores of 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46. Silva, 29, moved to 21-5-1 overall and 9-0 in the UFC with her 15th straight victory.
The belt became vacant after Valentina Shevchenko stepped away because of injury, but Silva arrived with a resume built for the moment, including wins over former UFC champions Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas.
UFC Champion Natalia Silva
“I am so happy,” Silva said in her post-fight news conference. “This is incredible for me. I have worked hard for this moment and now I am the new [champion].” The final scorecards were close, though Silva created the fight’s defining moment in the second round when she floored Wang with a head kick.
She finished with the advantage in significant strikes, 109-98, and recorded three takedowns, while Wang edged total strikes 147-133 and pressed hard late. Wang landed shots in a tense fifth round, but Silva had done enough through the first four frames to secure the decision. Silva said her preparation made the championship contest feel familiar. She credited training partners Wagner Reis and Brian “Monstrinho” for replicating Wang’s movement during camp.
“It felt like I was in a sparring session,” Silva said. “When I looked at her, it was like I saw Brian there. I had already lived that. We were prepared for every move and everything she was doing.”
That preparation showed in Silva’s early control. She mixed left hooks, body and head kicks, clinch work and wrestling before Wang found more success with forward pressure over the closing rounds. Silva was comfortable admitting she prefers a mobile, touch-and-go style, but said she is ready for a scrap when a fight calls for it.
“If it is going to be a brawl, let’s go,” Silva said. “If it is going to be close exchanges, let’s go for it. I was ready for anything.” Her next opponent has not been named. Shevchenko congratulated Silva publicly and told her to keep the belt warm, though the former champion is expected to be sidelined for around a year. Alexa Grasso, who beat Manon Fiorot in September, has been discussed as a possible next challenger. Silva did not call out anyone after UFC 332. Instead, she said the night belonged to her before looking ahead to a busy championship run.
“I want to be an active champion,” Silva said. “There is no point of being a title holder if you don’t put it out for a defense. This is my time for people to see who I am as a title holder and a champion that puts her title on the line and defends it as much as possible.” Silva also spoke about the possibility of more Brazilian women holding UFC gold, saying it would show that women can “conquer our space.”
For now, she has taken her place at the top of flyweight and plans to make the division come to her.
