SALT LAKE CITY — Natalia Silva captured the vacant UFC women's flyweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Wang Cong in the main event of UFC 332 on Saturday in Salt Lake City, and Wang says an early eye poke hampered her performance in her first UFC title fight.
Wang addressed the defeat for the first time on Instagram, pointing to an incident in the opening round. “Thank you for supporting, my friends,” Wang said on Instagram. “The game is lost. What a pity. I have some regrets then because of the first [round], the eye was poked in the second half. The line of sight is blocked and then I couldn’t see it when I was poked in the right eye in the first [round]. Wait until later to slow down, it’s too slow to enter.”
Silva controlled the majority of the championship bout before Wang mounted a late push, particularly in the fifth round, but it proved too little, too late for the 34-year-old. Wang added: “Where to fall, get up, go back and summarize yourself. Come on, try again.”
Silva and Wang fought for the title vacated by Valentina Shevchenko to close out the promotion’s return to Utah. Silva’s victory secures UFC gold after a measured performance, while Wang will look to regroup after seeing her title bid stalled by the early vision issue and slow start.