The UFC will crown a new women’s flyweight champion Saturday when 29-year-old Natalia Silva and 34-year-old Wang Cong meet in the main event of UFC 332 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The title became vacant after former champion Valentina Shevchenko relinquished it because of an undisclosed injury in September, according to ESPN.
Silva enters the headline bout undefeated inside the Octagon, carrying an eight-fight winning streak into the main event. She is listed as ESPN’s No. 2-ranked flyweight contender and was No. 9 on ESPN’s MMA 30 under 30 list. Silva’s most recent victory came by unanimous decision over former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas.
Wang has won four straight fights, with each victory coming by unanimous decision. Her latest win was a unanimous decision over Tracy Cortez at UFC 329 in July.
The card’s co-main event features rising men’s bantamweight challenger Payton Talbott against former two-time men’s flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo. The matchup presents Talbott with a step up in competition against a fighter who has held gold in the UFC’s flyweight division.
Brett Okamoto, Jeff Wagenheim and Dre Waters will break down the action from UFC 332.
