Silva is scheduled to meet Cong Wang for the free
Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight title on Oct. 3 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The fight came together after that
Valentina Shevchenko vacated the crown due to injury. The Brazilian coach recently previewed the game, which is set to headline
UFC 332.
Carlos Costa names Natalia Silva and Wang Cong as two of the best strikers in the division
According to Silva’s coach Carlos Costathe camp was originally built around Shevchenko before Wang replaced him.
“We had been preparing for Valentina for months and had done a full technical study of the champion,” Costa told Sherdog. “We were especially focused on takedowns because Valentina had taken down a lot of her opponents. Our main focus was timing the entries and controlling the distance. When the UFC told us she was out of the fight, and it was somewhat last minute, we completely changed the focus of our training. It was a huge surprise to us, especially since Cong was ranked #6.”
Despite the change in opponent, Costa expects the bout to make for an entertaining striking battle and foresees his student coming out on top.
“Because a lot of people don’t know Cong, there were complaints about him being in the main event, but I think a lot of people will be surprised by this fight,” Costa added. “Especially because of their styles. In my opinion, Natalia and Cong are two of the best strikers in the division. I’m sure that when these girls start performing in the Octagon, the public’s perception will change dramatically. I don’t know if the win will come in the first round or the fifth round. I just know that the win is coming. Natalia is ready to be the first Brazilian female champion12.
Silva (20-5-1) is on a 14-fight winning streak and has never tasted defeat in the UFC. Meanwhile, Wang enters the match with a 10-1 record and a four-game winning streak. The Chinese candidate defeated last time Tracy Cortez by unanimous decision.
