Before Wang Cong steps into the octagon at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, she transforms herself completely. The 34-year-old fighter dyes her hair green, paints her face white, and draws a bright red grin stretching from cheek to cheek. This striking appearance is not a nod to Batman’s Joker but a persona inspired by the joker playing card, which she says represents the most powerful card — a symbol she hopes to embody in her upcoming flyweight title fight.
Cong enters Saturday’s contest against Brazilian Natalia Silva on a four-fight winning streak. The bout is for the vacant UFC flyweight championship, left open after Valentina Shevchenko vacated the belt due to injury. Silva, 29, arrives as the favourite, boasting a 14-fight win streak across various promotions and currently holding the number one spot in the UFC’s flyweight rankings. She had been scheduled to challenge Shevchenko before the cancellation.
“I want to be the most powerful,” Cong told 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’s face paint and joker card persona have unsettled her opponents at weigh-ins. She has adopted the Joker alias even in social media interactions back home in China. Before her fight against Gabriella Fernandes in 2024, she tossed an imaginary coin and pretended to shoot a gun. In July, she surprised Tracy Cortez with a pack of fake eyelashes before their flyweight bout.
Ahead of her fight with Silva at the Delta Centre, Cong hinted her rival could expect a “surprise” but remained respectful, praising Silva’s skills. “She’s an incredible fighter, an eight-fight win streak in UFC, beaten three former champions, she has amazing footwork, distance control and kicks,” Cong said.
Some fans expressed surprise that Cong, ranked sixth, was chosen for the title shot. She acknowledged the feeling but explained the reasoning. “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.”
The fight marks the first women’s main event in the UFC since January 2025, when Mackenzie Dern faced Amanda Ribas. The last UFC numbered event headlined by women was in June 2023, featuring Amanda Nunes.
Cong sees her role as significant for women’s MMA, especially after a period of limited representation in the UFC. She is also aware of the impact her success could have on the sport in China. If victorious, she would become only the second Chinese UFC champion following former strawweight titleholder Zhang Weili.
“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,” she said.
The event has drawn criticism on social media, with some fans calling for the main event to feature fighters like Jiri Prochazka, Ciryl Gane, or Alex Pereira. When asked about the critics, Cong was succinct. “I’ve got nothing to say right now. After my fight I think they will shut up,” she said.
The stage is set for UFC 332, where Wang Cong’s joker card persona and face paint will be on full display as she aims to claim the flyweight world title.
According to BBC Sports.
