MMA
UFC 332 Predictions: Silva the Hotshot Favourite to see off Wang
Natalia Silva is the favourite to become UFC women’s flyweight champion when she meets Wang Cong for the vacant title at UFC 332; here’s William Hill News’ take.
Silva is 1/2 with the leading bookmaker, while Wang is 8/5, but the challenger’s striking volume and power make this a closer contest than the odds initially suggest.
Fight details
UFC 332 takes place on Saturday 3 October at the Delta Bank Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The card is headlined by Silva and Wang, who will contest the flyweight belt recently vacated by Valentina Shevchenko.
The co-main event sees former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo meet Payton Talbott at bantamweight. The main card also includes King Green v Esteban Ribovics, UFC debutant Roberto Soldic against Khaos Williams, and Ateba Gautier v Roman Kopylov.
Natalia Silva – 1/2
Silva has earned her title shot through a sustained unbeaten run in the UFC. She is 8-0 in the promotion and has not lost a fight since 2017, most recently recording decision victories over former champions Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso and Jessica Andrade.
Her case rests on technical control. Silva is an excellent kicker, moves intelligently and has repeatedly reduced the output of high-level opponents.
Against Namajunas, she outlanded her 51 significant strikes to 26, while she also limited Grasso to 45 significant strikes and a 32% connection rate.
Silva is not a conventional knockout artist – only two of her UFC wins have ended inside the distance – but she consistently makes opponents miss and is capable of banking rounds through clean, varied work. Five rounds should give her plenty of time to impose that rhythm.
At 1/2, Silva is the more reliable pick. She has faced stronger opposition, is more rounded and has shown she can remain composed when a fight does not immediately go her way.
Prediction: Natalia Silva to win by decision.
Wang Cong – 8/5
Wang is the more explosive underdog at 8/5.
Her UFC journey has included dramatic highs and a notable setback, but she has established herself as one of the division’s most active and eye-catching strikers.
She announced herself with a brutal knockout of Victoria Leonardo in 2024, then suffered a shock stoppage loss to Gabriella Fernandes when heavily favoured.
Since that defeat, Wang has put together four consecutive decision wins, most recently beating Tracy Cortez in July.
Wang’s key advantage is volume. Against Cortez, she landed 137 significant strikes at 63% accuracy – the third time she has landed more than 100 significant strikes in a UFC bout. If she can force Silva into a high-tempo stand-up fight, she has the power and output to make an upset possible.
The question is whether Wang can maintain that attack against Silva’s movement and leg kicks over 25 minutes. Silva has consistently limited elite opponents’ offence, while Wang has been less disciplined when the fight becomes emotional or chaotic.
Wang is a dangerous live underdog, but her route to victory requires her to keep the pressure on without giving Silva easy scoring opportunities.
Prediction: Wang Cong to win if the fight turns into a high-volume striking battle, but she is narrowly second choice.
