Joker persona helps Cong 'feel the fear' in opponents

ByPaul Battison BBC Sport Journalist.

Key points

• The fight represents the first women's main event in the UFC since Mackenzie Dern beat Amanda Ribas is January 2025.
• The last time two women headlined one of the UFC's flagship numbered events was when Amanda Nunes defeated in June 2023.
• If Cong wins, she will become only the second Chinese UFC champion after former strawweight title holder Zhang Weili.
• Before Wang Cong faces off with her opponents, she dyes her hair green, paints her face white and draws a bright red grin from cheek to cheek.
• The 34-year-old, who is on a four-fight win streak, notes she can "feel the fear" in her opponents when she wears the face paint.

Fans may assume Cong is paying tribute to Batman's notorious arch-enemy the Joker, but the Chinese fighter notes her persona is rooted in the joker playing card that inspired the comic-book villain.

Notably, the 34-year-old, who is on a four-fight win streak, notes she can "feel the fear" in her opponents when she wears the face paint.

When the pair fight for the vacant flyweight world title, on Saturday at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, Cong will be hoping she can invoke the same emotions in Brazilian Natalia Silva.

"It means the most powerful card, so I want to be the most powerful, " Cong tells BBC Sport.

"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."

Cong has bewildered opponents at weigh-ins while wearing the face paint, and notes she even adopts the Joker alias when using social media messaging back home in China.

While in July she bizarrely gifted Tracy Cortez a pack of fake eyelashes before the pair's flyweight encounter, she tossed an imaginary coin and pretended to shoot a gun before her fight against Gabriella Fernandes in 2024.

Although she then turns serious as she pays tribute to her opponent, cong laughs as she reveals Silva can expect a "surprise" of her own before their fight at the Delta Centre.

Silva, 29, enters the contest on a 14-fight win streak throughout different promotions and is the favourite to capture the vacant title after Valentina Shevchenko was forced to vacate the belt last month through injury.

"She's an incredible fighter, an eight-fight win streak in UFC, beaten three former champions, she has amazing footwork, distance control and kicks, " adds Cong.

Silva, who is number one in the UFC's flyweight rankings, was set to face Shevchenko for the belt before the bout was cancelled, so was projected to challenge for the vacant title.

Some fans were surprised that sixth-ranked Cong was chosen for the title fight nevertheless, and she admits she felt the same way.

"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, " remarked Cong. "I'm on a four-win streak so that makes sense."

Notably, the fight represents the first women's main event in the UFC since Mackenzie Dern beat Amanda Ribas is January 2025.

Notably, the last time two women headlined one of the UFC's flagship numbered events was when Amanda Nunes defeated in June 2023.

Cong notes it's "meaningful" to be flying the flag for women's MMA after a period of under representation in the UFC, and is excited for the opportunities her success could create in China.

"MMA is my final transition in my combat sports career. I think my success will encourage more athletes to be brave and try mixed martial arts in China, " remarked Cong.

Notably, the event has received criticism from some fans on social media. This person instead pressed the main event to feature fighters such as Jiri Prochazka, Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira.

When asked if Cong has a message for her critics, she was concise in her response.

"I've obtained nothing to say right now. After my fight I think they will shut up, " she remarked.

For now, joker persona helps Cong ' feel the fear' in opponents remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.