Valentina Shevchenko’s injury cost her at least a year away from the cage, and that forced absence opens the door for two fighters chasing the same prize. Natalia Silva and Wang Cong meet Saturday in Salt Lake City for the vacant women’s featherweight championship at UFC 332. The winner gets the belt.
Silva enters as the favorite, but the odds tell a tighter story than the pick suggests. DraftKings lists Silva at -205 and Cong at +170, meaning the bookmakers expect Silva to win but not by a wide margin. The fight is the headline act, and the rest of the card runs deep with names worth watching.
The Main Event Numbers
The odds via DraftKings Sportsbook show Silva as the clear favorite, though the gap is smaller than some recent matchups. Here is how the main card breaks down:
- Natalia Silva (-205) vs. Wang Cong (+170) — the vacant women’s featherweight title
- Payton Talbott (-750) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (+525) — bantamweights
- Esteban Ribovics (-230) vs. King Green (+190) — lightweights
- Roberto Soldic (-238) vs. Khaos Williams (+195) — welterweights
- Ateba Gautier (-258) vs. Roman Kopylov (+210) — middleweights
- Imanol Rodriguez (-142) vs. Alden Coria (+120) — flyweights
- Damian Pinas (-550) vs. Andrey Pulyaev (+410) — middleweights
- Anthony Wint (-520) vs. Lucas Armand (+390) — heavyweights
- Marcus McGhee (-550) vs. Anthony Romero (+410) — bantamweights
- Johnny Walker (-120) vs. Mick Parkin (+100) — heavyweights
- Ismail Naurdiev (-142) vs. Marvin Vettori (+120) — middleweights
- Alexander Hernandez (-278) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (+225) — lightweights
- Jacobe Smith (-1000) vs. Bruce Whitehead (+650) — middleweights
- Eric Nolan (-225) vs. Court McGee (+185) — welterweights
The favorites dominate the top of the card, with Gautier, Pinas, Wint, Rodrigues and Smith all listed as strong picks heading into the night.
What the Experts See
CBS Sports gathered predictions from Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Shakiel Mahjouri and Brandon Wise for the main card. Their views on Silva and Talbott differ on the margins, but the direction is consistent.
Silva vs. Cong
Campbell sees Silva’s high-volume, varied attack paired against Cong’s counterstriking, with Silva’s speed and experience giving her the edge over 25 minutes. Silva has won all eight of her UFC fights, including three straight wins over former champions, and has won 14 consecutive fights overall.
Brookhouse describes the fight as competitive on paper, noting that Cong is a big volume striker with solid power for the division while Silva is more adept at defensive striking. The question is whether Silva can slow Cong enough to win rounds, or if Cong can use pressure and volume to take them instead. Brookhouse expects neither fighter to stop the other, and trusts Silva’s resume and ability to adjust to win by decision.
Mahjouri goes further. Silva was always supposed to be here, he writes, even before Shevchenko vacated the title due to injury. Silva has been preparing for this fight longer than Cong, and has defeated former champions in her last three fights. Mahjouri believes Silva has the better MMA striking, that Cong’s claimed power has not materialized, and that Cong’s admitted difficulty cutting weight puts her at a disadvantage. His pick: Silva by unanimous decision.
Talbott vs. Figueiredo
Campbell’s take on Talbott’s return is brief but pointed. The 38-year-old Figueiredo, a former two-time flyweight champion, still brings one-punch power into this matchup but not much more. Figueiredo has lost four of his last five bouts dating back to 2024 and is coming off consecutive losses. The pick is not stated, but the context suggests Talbott is favored.
Talbott’s young bantamweight hopes for a busier 2026 were dashed when potential fights with fellow Americans like Sean O’Malley fell through, leaving him with one expected fight this year.
Talbott’s Long Wait
Talbott’s situation stands apart from the rest of the card. The young bantamweight hoped for a more active 2026, but potential fights with fellow Americans like Sean O’Malley fell through. That left him waiting until now for his expected lone fight of the year.
His opponent, Deiveson Figueiredo, is the former two-time flyweight champion. Figueiredo has struggled with age, and he is always a tough out. Talbott draws a difficult customer in the co-main event.
How to Watch
UFC 332 airs live on CBS Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The action is also available on Paramount+, which includes every other UFC numbered event and UFC Fight Night with your subscription. Plans start as low as $8.99/month or $89.99/year.
The Full Card Breakdown
The card runs from heavyweight to lightweight, with a mix of established veterans and rising prospects. Gautier, Pinas, Wint, Rodrigues and Smith are all favorites heading into Saturday, and Soldic, a three-time KSW champion, looks to follow in Salahdine Parnasse’s footsteps in his UFC debut.
The talent is spread evenly across the card, with familiar names like Pinas and Smith carrying the middleweights while Gautier and Wint anchor the heavier divisions. The lightweight and welterweight matchups add depth, with Hernandez and Ribovics both listed as strong favorites.
Our View of the Night
The night belongs to the main event, and the odds reflect that. Silva is the clear pick to win the belt, though the closeness of the numbers suggests a fight that could go either way. Talbott faces a difficult test against a veteran who has struggled with age but remains dangerous.
The rest of the card offers familiar names and clear favorites across the weight classes. Gautier, Pinas, Wint, Rodrigues and Smith all carry strong records into their fights, and Soldic represents a fresh face in the UFC.
The broadcast runs on CBS at 8 p.m. ET, with Paramount+ carrying the stream. The fight is live, the odds are set, and the champion waits.
Source material: “UFC 332 fight card predictions: Expert picks, odds for Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong in Salt Lake City,” CBS Sports.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.