SALT LAKE CITY — Natalia Silva Claims Vacant UFC Women’s Flyweight Title

Natalia Silva achieved a unanimous decision victory over Wang Cong to secure the vacant UFC women’s flyweight championship during UFC 332 on Saturday night.

With this win, Silva (21-5-1) stretched her winning streak to an impressive 15 fights, demonstrating clear dominance over Wang (10-2) across the five rounds.

“This is incredible for me,” Silva expressed. “I’ve worked really hard for this moment, and now I’m the new champion. I am just so, so happy.”

Silva entered the title fight as a frontrunner after Valentina Shevchenko vacated the title due to back and shoulder injuries nearly a month prior. Throughout the match, she showcased more aggression than Wang, utilizing her speed and strong footwork to maintain an edge.

In a pivotal moment, Silva landed a sharp head kick that knocked Wang to the canvas midway through the second round. She continued to keep the pressure on, effectively landing quick strikes and roundhouse kicks in the following rounds.

Though Wang pushed back in the final round, Silva’s consistent strikes ensured her control of the fight, reflecting in the judges’ scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.

“I think if she had stepped on the gas a little earlier, it would have been a completely different fight,” commented UFC President Dana White.

In the co-main event, Payton Talbott defeated Delveson Figueiredo via TKO with just under three minutes left in the first round.

Talbott (12-1) asserted his dominance right from the bell, knocking Figueiredo (25-8-1) down early with a solid right strike, followed by an elbow that set Figueiredo on the back foot.

Capitalizing on his advantage, Talbott unleashed a series of blows until he forced a TKO.

“I definitely thought he was going to be more durable,” Talbott remarked, indicating his surprise at the outcome.

This fight marked Talbott’s successful return to the octagon after a 10-month hiatus.

He mentioned a desire for a longer battle, saying, “I wanted to just feel that war. I’m really happy to get the finish because it’s been a while since I accomplished that. Deep down, I chase finishes. But, yeah, I definitely wanted it to come a little bit later in the fight.”

In another match, Roman Kopylov took down Ateba Gautier by TKO with just over three minutes left in the first round. Kopylov launched a series of powerful strikes, ultimately dropping Gautier for the win, marking his second victory in the UFC this year while inflicting Gautier’s second career loss.

Roberto Soldic, making his UFC debut, won a unanimous decision against Khaos Williams with scores of 29-28, 29-27, and 29-27. Throughout the fight, Soldic asserted his control, landing effective strikes and maintaining dominance, especially on the canvas at the end of the first two rounds.

Esteban Ribovics triumphed over King Green by TKO with less than a minute remaining in the first round of their lightweight clash. Ribovics knocked Green down three times with precise strikes, eventually overwhelming him after the third fall.

White reported a total gate of $2.7 million for the event, which attracted 16,492 fans.