UFC 332: Champions Clash and New Talents Shine in Salt Lake City

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UFC 332 takes place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, featuring Natalia Silva versus Wang Cong for the vacant women's flyweight championship. It is the first numbered UFC event to air on CBS, with the entire card streaming on Paramount+.

Coverage begins at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+, and the main card follows at 8 p.m. ET. The title was left open after Valentina Shevchenko relinquished it due to injury. Silva enters on a 14-fight winning streak and is undefeated in the UFC, with eight wins including six by unanimous decision. Her last three victories came over former champions Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas.

The 29-year-old Brazilian is a former kickboxer who uses a striking-heavy, kick-based style with quick footwork. Wang Cong is rated No. 6 and enters as a sizable underdog, as high as +194 on Novig. She has four consecutive wins, most recently out-working Tracy Cortez at UFC 329. Wang owns the highest striking differential and accuracy record in the division, and she is listed two inches taller with a one-inch reach advantage.

Both fighters are efficient strikers, landing more than twice as many significant strikes as they absorb. This bout may be the lowest-level UFC title fight in history, as Silva is the No. 1 contender facing the No. 6-ranked Cong. It shapes up as a pure striking match for the flyweight strap.

If Cong could get takedowns it would make her a more attractive pick, but Silva, a former kickboxer who transitioned to MMA, is unlikely to lose a pure striking battle. A path to victory for Cong is hard to see, and Silva could score another unanimous decision in what might look like an easier sparring match. In the co-main event, former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, now at bantamweight, faces Payton Talbott.

Figueiredo is 1-4 at 135 pounds and just 5-foot-5, and he has lost four of his past five appearances, including a guillotine submission loss to Song Yadong. Talbott is a massive weight bully at bantamweight, standing 5-foot-10 while making 135 pounds. Figueiredo is a +450 underdog, and Talbott is expected to style his way to victory. Roberto Soldic makes his UFC debut against Khaos Williams.

Soldic was a two-division champion in Poland's KSW promotion, holding both the welterweight and middleweight titles. Williams has been a perennial knockout threat at welterweight and looks to punish the newcomer in his first fight. The main card also features King Green versus Esteban Ribovics, a bout anticipated as a Clash of the Night contender. Green has a seven-fight winning streak with multiple finishes, while Ribovics, a Contender Series graduate, has three Fight of the Night bonuses.

In the middleweight division, rising prospect Ateba Gautier faces veteran Roman Kopylov, who has a 7-3 record. Gautier gets a chance to prove himself against a seasoned opponent. Preliminary matches include Imanol Rodriguez versus Alden Coria in a flyweight encounter, and Damian Pinas versus Andrey Pulyaev at middleweight. Veteran bantamweight Marcus McGhee meets newcomer Anthony Romero at featherweight on short notice, reflecting the depth of the division.

Anthony Wint faces Lucas Armand, both with strong submission and finishing pedigrees. The card has 13 fights, and a whopping 10 are projected to end inside the distance with a finish. It is considered a highly controversial card, described as one of the most underwhelming events in the promotion's history in terms of fight quality, though that does not affect its betting value.

Other betting notes include Johnny Walker versus Mick Parkin, Jacobe Smith versus Bruce Whitehead, Rafael Dos Anjos versus Alexander Hernandez, and Marvin Vettori versus Ismail Naurdiev. The event showcases a blend of championship stakes and prospects, offering viewers a glimpse of the sport's evolving landscape.

Compiled from 2 sourcesCompiled by HeadTopics editors by cross-checking the verified news reports listed here.

This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.

Wang Cong UFC 332 Natalia Silva Wang Cong Deiveson Figueiredo Payton Talbott Roberto Soldic Khaos Williams Delta Center Salt Lake City Flyweight Title

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