Before Wang Cong faces his opponents, he dyes his hair green, paints his face white and draws a red smile from cheek to cheek.
Fans may think Cong paid tribute to Batman’s notorious arch-enemy the Joker, but the Chinese fighter says it’s the persona on the toy card that inspired the comic book villain.
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The 34-year-old, who is on a four-fight winning streak, says he “feels the fear” in his opponents when he wears face paint.
On Saturday at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, Cong will be hoping that she can invoke the same moves on Brazil’s Natalia Silva, as she vacates the match for the world title.
“It means the most powerful card, so I want to be the most powerful,” Cong tells BBC Sport.
“When I paint I feel crazy. It makes me better, it inspires me. There is not much difference between painting and no painting, this is true personality.”
Cong confuses opponents at weigh-ins while wearing face paint, and says he’s also adopting other clowns using social media back home in China.
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Tossing an imaginary coin, she pretended to shoot a gun before her fight against Gabriella Fernandes in 2024, while in July Tracy Cortez miraculously donned a bunch of fake eyelashes before the meeting of the two big birds.
Cong laughs as she reveals that Silva can expect her “surprise” before the fight at the Delta Center, though she then turns serious as she pays tribute to her opponent.
Silva, 29, enters the bout on a 14-fight streak across various promotions and is the favorite to capture the vacant title after Valentina Shevchenko was forced to vacate the belt due to injury last month.
“He’s an incredible fighter, he’s on an eight-fight winning streak in the UFC, he’s got three previous knockouts, amazing footwork, range power and kicks,” added Congr.
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Silva, who is number one in the UFC’s flyweight division, had Shevchenko’s belt canceled before he faced it, so he was expected to challenge for the vacant title.
Some fans were surprised that sixth-ranked Cong was chosen for the title fight, and he admits he felt the same way.
“I was a little surprised to be honest, but if you look at the order, the girls were ahead of me and either booked a fight or just fought,” said Congr.
“I’m a man in a four streak so that makes sense.”
The fight represents the first women’s main event in the UFC since Mackenzie Dern beat Amanda Ribas in January 2025.
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The last time two women headlined one of the UFC’s flagship events was when she defeated Amanda Nunes in June 2023.
Cong says it’s “significant” to fly the flag in women’s MMA after a period of representation in the UFC, and is excited about the opportunities her success could create in China.
If Cong wins, he will become just the second Chinese UFC champion after former strawberry title holder Zhang Weili.
“MMA is the final transition for me in my fighting sports career. I think I will be more excited about the success of strong athletes and experience mixed martial arts in China,” said Congr.
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The event received criticism from some social media fans, who called for the main event to become fighters such as Jiri Prochazka, Cyril Gane and Alex Pereira.
When asked if Cong had a message for his critics, he was brief in his response.
“I have nothing to say now. I think they are closed after the fight,” he said.