UFC 332: Natalia Silva Beats China's Wang Cong for Flyweight Title on a Record Night of Knockdowns

Natalia Silva is the new UFC women's flyweight champion. The Brazilian beat China's Wang Cong by unanimous decision at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City on Saturday night, which was Sunday morning in Malaysia. A second-round head kick that knocked Wang down helped Silva win the vacant title. The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.

The belt became vacant when Valentina Shevchenko, a two-time UFC champion, gave it up because of injury.

A close fight

The scores suggest a comfortable win, but the fight at the Delta Center was close. According to Yahoo Sports' round-by-round coverage, Silva made the stronger start, but Wang kept pressing forward with leg kicks and combinations and was in several close rounds.

The turning point came in the second round. Silva landed a head kick that dropped Wang. Wang got straight back up, but Silva clinched her against the fence and then took her down. Wang kept coming in the final round and stunned Silva with a left hook, but she could not close the gap.

"I am so happy," Silva said through a translator. "A lot of people [criticized] the fact that [Wang] was in this fight, but this fight here proved why she was challenging me. She's an amazing athlete, but now is my time."

Wang, who comes from a kickboxing background, came into the title fight after a strong win over Tracy Cortez. Many fans had questioned whether she deserved the shot, but she lasted the full five rounds and gave Silva problems on the feet.

A record night

Before the card, many fans had criticised it for lacking big names. It ended up setting records. According to Yahoo Sports, Silva's knockdown was the event's 16th, a new UFC record for the modern era. The card also set promotion records for:

• Most knockouts at one event: 11
• Most first-round knockouts at one event: 9

Main card results

• Women's flyweight title: Natalia Silva def. Wang Cong, unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
• Bantamweight: Payton Talbott def. Deiveson Figueiredo, TKO (punches), R1 2:09
• Lightweight: Esteban Ribovics def. King Green, TKO (punches), R1 4:08
• Welterweight: Roberto Soldic def. Khaos Williams, unanimous decision
• Middleweight: Roman Kopylov def. Ateba Gautier, TKO (punches), R1 3:12

Other notable results

• Heavyweight: Johnny Walker def. Mick Parkin, KO (knee), R1 3:35
• Lightweight: Anthony Hernandez def. Rafael dos Anjos, TKO (punches), R2 3:12
• Middleweight: Ismail Naurdiev def. Marvin Vettori, unanimous decision
• Heavyweight: Anthony Wint def. Lucas Armand, TKO (punches), R1 0:23

In the co-main event, Talbott dropped former flyweight champion Figueiredo with a straight right early on. He finished him against the fence in the first round.

What it means for Asian MMA fans

Wang's run to a title fight is another sign of how far Chinese women's MMA has come in the UFC. She did not win the belt, but she showed she belongs near the top of the division. For Silva, the bigger question is Shevchenko's return. "This is the beginning of the [era] of Natalia Silva. I'm the new queen," Silva said.

Key takeaways

• Natalia Silva won the vacant UFC women's flyweight title by unanimous decision over China's Wang Cong.
• A second-round head-kick knockdown was the key moment of a close fight.
• UFC 332 set records for knockdowns (16), knockouts (11) and first-round knockouts (9).
• Payton Talbott stopped Deiveson Figueiredo in the first round of the co-main event.

FAQ

Why was the flyweight title vacant? Valentina Shevchenko gave up the belt because of injury.

What were the judges' scores? 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46, all for Silva.

Where was UFC 332 held? At the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday, 3 October (Sunday morning in Malaysia).

Sources: Yahoo Sports (Uncrowned)