Before facing opponents, Wang Cong dyes her hair green, paints her face white and draws a bright red grin, drawing inspiration from the joker playing card rather than the Batman villain. The 34-year-old Chinese fighter, on a four-fight win streak, says the persona helps her "feel the fear" in her rivals. At UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, Cong meets Natalia Silva for the vacant flyweight world title. "It means the most powerful card, so I want to be the most powerful," Cong tells BBC Sport. She admits to being surprised at landing the title shot but notes higher-ranked rivals were already booked or had recently fought.
Silva, 29, enters as favourite with a 14-fight win streak across promotions and remains unbeaten in eight UFC outings. The bout marks the first women's main event in the UFC since Mackenzie Dern defeated Amanda Ribas in January 2025.
Cong hopes victory will inspire more athletes in China to take up MMA, stating: "MMA is my final transition in my combat sports career. I think my success will encourage more athletes to be brave." If she wins, Cong would become only the second Chinese UFC champion after Zhang Weili.
Some fans criticised the main event selection, calling for fighters like Jiri Prochazka, Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira. Cong responded: "I've got nothing to say right now. After my fight I think they will shut up."
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing