Natalia Silva Beats Wang Cong, Stats, Judges' Scorecards, Prize Money & UFC 332 Highlights

Natalia Silva was crowned the new UFC women's flyweight champion with a unanimous decision win over Wang Cong in the UFC 332 main event.

The first round featured good moments for both fighters. However, Silva controlled more of the round with an active jab and movement.

Things heated up a bit in the second round when Silva put her opponent on the ground with a head kick.

Wong made things interesting in the third round. Silva mostly kept out of her range, but Wong was able to turn things into a brawl in a few instances. It wasn't enough to convince those scoring the bout that she got the round, though.

Silva continued to do enough to lead the rounds, but her inability to pile up damage left some doubts about the scorecards for some.

Cong did just enough to keep things from being a blowout, but Silva's octagon control and striking were enough to carry the day.

Silva, 29, finally got her title moment after putting together an 8-0 record in the UFC that includes wins over Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas.

The Brazilian now takes over the division that Valentina Shevchenko was ruling until a shoulder and back injury forced The Bullet out of action for at least a year.

Shevchenko is one of the most accomplished flyweights of all time. She's going to be the champion until she's actually beaten in the cage in the eyes of some.

Don't count Silva among them, though. She doesn't think that Shevchenko's absence takes away from her status as champion.

"Whether it's by beating Valentina or not, if I win the title, I'm the undisputed champion," Silva said, per Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting. "Regardless of whether it was against her or against someone else. I was prepared to fight her, I wanted to fight her. If she got injured and couldn't be there, that's out of my hands."

For now, Silva is the best active fighter in the division. There will obviously be a movement to test her claim to gold once Shevchenko has healed from her injury.

There are other challengers if Shevchenko is slow to return. Erin Blanchfield and Jasmine Jasudavicius have an intriguing fight scheduled for October 17. However, a bout between Silva and the longtime champion is now the biggest fight the division can make.