Before stepping into the octagon, Wang Cong transforms her appearance by dyeing her hair green, painting her face white, and drawing a bright red grin across her cheeks. While observers may initially associate the look with Batman’s iconic villain, the 34-year-old Chinese mixed martial artist clarifies that her persona is actually rooted in the joker playing card, which she views as representing power.
Competing in Salt Lake City this Saturday at UFC 332, Cong will face Brazil’s Natalia Silva for the vacant flyweight world title. Cong believes her theatrical entrance allows her to “feel the fear” radiating from her opponents, a psychological edge she says significantly enhances her performance.
“It means the most powerful card, so I want to be the most powerful,” Cong explained. “When I have paint on I feel crazy. It makes me perform better, it inspires me. There’s not much different between paint and no paint, this is my true personality.”
The tactic has previously unsettled rivals during weigh-ins. Cong’s pre-fight rituals have included tossing an imaginary coin and pretending to shoot a gun ahead of her 2024 bout against Gabriella Fernandes, as well as handing Tracy Cortez a pack of fake eyelashes before their July encounter. She hinted that Silva should also expect a surprise before their fight at the Delta Centre.
Silva, ranked number one in the UFC flyweight division, enters the contest on a 14-fight winning streak across various promotions, including an eight-match run in the UFC. She originally was slated to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the belt, but Shevchenko was forced to vacate the championship last month due to injury.
Despite being ranked sixth, Cong acknowledges that her selection for the title eliminator was logical given the status of higher-ranked contenders. “To be honest I was a little bit surprised but if you see the rankings, the girls ranked higher than me have either a fight booked or they have just fought,” she said. “I’m on a four-win streak so that makes sense.”
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