Wang On Sparring At Team Alpha Male Gym

UFC flyweight title challenger Cong Wang says her sparring partners at Team Alpha Male quickly stopped going easy on her once they realized what she could do.

Wang faces Natalia Silva for the vacant 125-pound belt at UFC 332 on Saturday in Salt Lake City. According to Sherdog, the Chinese contender said her training at the Sacramento gym revealed a pattern: teammates who might hold back against other women ramp up their intensity against her after experiencing her striking firsthand.

How Wang's Sparring Sessions Changed At Alpha Male

"Yes, that's true," Wang said in a pre-fight interview. "They will go easy against the other girls, but when they spar with [me], they find the difficulty in the level of striking. They will go harder. They will even swing against [me]. That's why [I am] treated like boys in the gym."

Wang enters the title fight on a four-bout winning streak, most recently beating Tracy Cortez by decision. Silva carries an eight-fight UFC unbeaten run with wins over former champions Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas.

UFC 332 airs Saturday night on CBS and Paramount Plus.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Cong Wang says teammates go harder on her: ‘Treated like boys’