Wang Cong backs herself for UFC 332 flyweight title shot despite contender queue

Wang Cong will challenge Natalia Silva for the vacant UFC flyweight title in the UFC 332 main event on Saturday, after champion Valentina Shevchenko’s sudden relinquishment of the belt reshaped the card and thrust Wang into the spotlight ahead of several other ranked contenders.

The Chinese fighter’s selection raised eyebrows given that fighters such as Erin Blanchfield appeared to have equally strong claims to a title shot, but Wang says the logic behind the UFC’s decision was clear to her.

“I’m not surprised,” Wang told MMA Fighting. “Because how the rankings go either has a fight booked or they just fought. I’m on a four [fight] win streak and I think it’s my time.”

Wang also pointed to her conditioning and fight-camp flexibility as factors in her favour. “I’m always ready for a championship fight. I never take a long break after any of my fights. Even if I only had 17 days to prepare for this fight, my cardio is there.”

Adding an extra layer of intrigue to the week is Wang’s shared history with Shevchenko. The two met in a kickboxing bout in 2015, with Wang earning a unanimous decision victory — a result that has not gone unnoticed as both fighters subsequently transitioned to MMA. The prospect of a rematch under MMA rules has been a talking point in the build-up, but Wang is keeping her attention firmly on Silva.

“I’m fully focused on this fight,” she said. “Those are things in the future.”

Silva enters the contest on the back of her own impressive win streak, and the matchup pits two elite strikers against each other in what Wang expects to be a technically absorbing contest.

“It’s going to be two world-class strikers,” Wang said. “We’re competing and the key to win the fight is takes the rhythm of the fight. It also comes down to desire, who wants it more and we’ll go against each other in the fight.”