UFC 332: Wang Cong says Joker persona helps her ‘really feel the concern’ in opponents

Earlier than Wang Cong faces off together with her opponents, she dyes her hair inexperienced, paints her face white and attracts a shiny pink grin from cheek to cheek.

Followers could assume Cong is paying tribute to Batman’s infamous arch-enemy the Joker, however the Chinese language fighter says her persona is rooted within the joker taking part in card that impressed the comic-book villain.

The 34-year-old, who’s on a four-fight win streak, says she will be able to “really feel the concern” in her opponents when she wears the face paint.

On Saturday at UFC 332 in Salt Lake Metropolis, Cong will probably be hoping she will be able to invoke the identical feelings in Brazilian Natalia Silva, when the pair battle for the vacant flyweight world title.

“It means essentially the most highly effective card, so I wish to be essentially the most highly effective,” Cong tells BBC Sport.

“When I’ve paint on I really feel loopy. It makes me carry out higher, it evokes me. There’s not a lot completely different between paint and no paint, that is my true character.”

Cong has bewildered opponents at weigh-ins whereas sporting the face paint, and says she even adopts the Joker alias when utilizing social media messaging again house in China.

She tossed an imaginary coin and pretended to shoot a gun earlier than her battle in opposition to Gabriella Fernandes in 2024, whereas in July she bizarrely gifted Tracy Cortez a pack of pretend eyelashes earlier than the pair’s flyweight encounter.

Cong laughs as she reveals Silva can count on a “shock” of her personal earlier than their battle on the Delta Centre, though she then turns severe as she pays tribute to her opponent.

Silva, 29, enters the competition on a 14-fight win streak throughout completely different promotions and is the favorite to seize the vacant title after Valentina Shevchenko was pressured to vacate the belt final month by means of damage.

“She’s an unimaginable fighter, an eight-fight win streak in UFC, crushed three former champions, she has wonderful footwork, distance management and kicks,” provides Cong.