Joker persona helps Cong 'feel the fear' in opponents

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.

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

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

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

"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 says she even adopts the Joker alias when using social media messaging back home in China.

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

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