UFC 332 Odds, Picks & Predictions: Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong
Valentina Shevchenko was forced to vacate her title as the UFC Women's Flyweight Champion due to injury. She is dealing with severe ligament injuries in both her shoulder and back, so the main event at UFC 332 will decide the new champion. Natalia Silva, the No. 1-ranked contender, is taking on Wang Cong, the No. 8-ranked contender, in a five-round title bout.
It should be an exciting evening from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The card starts at 4 p.m. EDT on Paramount+. The main card kicks off at 8 p.m. EDT on Paramount+ and live on CBS.
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UFC 332: Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Natalia Silva (-205)
Silva is 20-5-1 as a professional, and 8-0 in the UFC. She has won six via decision and two via knockout in the promotion. Her most recent victory was a unanimous decision victory over former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. She beat former champions Alexa Grasso and Jessica Andrade before that.
Silva lands 4.81 significant strikes and absorbs 2.36 significant strikes per minute. She lands with 45% accuracy and defends 66% of opponent's significant strikes. She averages 0.43 takedowns landed per 15 minutes with 30% accuracy and defends 90% of opponent's takedowns.
Wang Cong (+170)
Wang is 10-1 as a professional and 5-1 in the UFC. She beat Tracy Cortez via unanimous decision in July and Eduarda Moura in February. Her lone knockout in the promotion was in her debut against Victoria Leonardo.
Wang lands 6.82 significant strikes and absorbs 2.73 significant strikes per minute. She lands with 58% accuracy and defends 60% of her opponent's significant strikes. She averages 0.62 takedowns landed per 15 minutes with 75% accuracy and defends 85% of her opponent's takedowns.
Prediction
Silva's fight against Namajunas showed a path to victory against her. She has clearly won every fight up until that one, and many people think Namajunas should have gotten the edge on the scorecards. It was a close fight, though, so it could have gone either way.
She is a technical striker who is always moving. She utilizes kicks, flurries, and movements to win technically. Wang is a former kickboxer who is a tough matchup for Silva. She has more power, but is not as quick. Wang has solid low kicks, which she likely utilizes against Silva to negate her movement.
Wang's most impressive victory came in 2015 in kickboxing. She beat Shevchenko via unanimous decision, which shows her striking ability. Since transitioning to MMA, she has improved a lot on the mat, but has flaws. Silva has shown that she likes to strike, but could implement a grappling game plan against Wang, given her striking background.
Neither woman has been in a five-round fight in the UFC. Silva made it to the fourth round in 2019 on Jungle Fight and finished the fight with an armbar. Cardio is key in this fight, which is expected to go the distance. Silva has the clear advantage in that department.
Silva's volume and movement are hard to overcome. Wang can land a power punch, but Silva is hard to hit. Silva also has feints that force her opponents to leave themselves open. Wang likely wants to counter-strike against Silva, but that will not work as Silva stacks up rounds on the scorecards.
The championship rounds are important, especially at altitude. Cardio is the most important aspect of this fight, and Silva has never shown signs of slowing down in any fight. She can finish this fight in the later rounds as Wang gets tired. Silva winning the fight is a little too steep a price, so I like her to win inside the distance in the championship rounds.
Bet: Natalia Silva – Inside the Distance (+380)