Athletes
Wang Cong | ‘The Joker’ Eyes The Last Laugh
Wang Cong Has Taken The Fast Lane To The Top Of The Flyweight Division As She Plans Her Takeover With A Win Over Natalia Silva At UFC 332 On October 3 In Salt Lake City
After a whirlwind start to her UFC career, Chinese striker Wang Cong finds herself on the verge of championship glory.
The 34-year-old from Shanghai has fought just six times in the UFC, and on Saturday night in Salt Lake City, she’ll be hoping that her seventh appearance and first UFC main event will see her capture UFC gold.
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Wang takes on Brazilian contender Natalia Silva for the vacant undisputed women’s flyweight title, and “The Joker” says she’s ready to step up and deliver on the biggest night of her career.
“I’m super excited for this title fight,” she told UFC.com ahead of fight night. "I'm fully prepared, and I'm ready to go.
"When I heard the news, I was in Shanghai supporting my fellow Chinese fighters for the Shanghai event. Of course, I'm hyped for this opportunity. As I said, I'm always ready. I'm always ready for the title.”
Wang’s journey to the top hasn’t been a completely straight line. After her stunning 62-second knockout of Victoria Leonardo in her UFC debut, there was a lot of hype around Wang as she stepped into the Octagon to face Brazil’s Gabriella Fernandes. But, her sophomore appearance ended in disappointment and defeat, as she was submitted in the second round.
WATCH: UFC 332 Pre-Fight Press Conference
Despite that setback, Wang said she was able to use it as a moment to improve her game and, as she explained, her mental approach to bouts.
“Yeah, I gained a lot from the loss in Macau,” she admitted.
UFC 332 Countdown | Natalia Silva vs Wang Cong
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UFC 332 Countdown | Natalia Silva vs Wang Cong
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“I regrouped, I rethought what I should do, but I think that's more on the mental side. I should be more patient. I should be calmer for every opportunity in the future.”
Wang bounced back with a unanimous decision victory over Bruna Brasil at UFC 312, then followed up with another against Ariane Da Silva at UFC 316. A third straight decision victory against Brazilian opposition saw her defeat Eduarda Moura at the Meta APEX in February. That set up a matchup with American contender Tracy Cortez at UFC 329, where Wang pitched a shutout on the scorecards despite receiving a point deduction during the contest.
MORE UFC 332: Fighters On The Rise | Coach Conversation | Fight By Fight Preview
Now she’s ready to take on Silva for the vacant title and take the next step in the career path she set out for herself upon joining the UFC.
“Since I signed with UFC, getting the belt was always my goal,” she explained.
Wang Cong: “Getting The Belt Was Always My Goal” | UFC 332
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Wang Cong: “Getting The Belt Was Always My Goal” | UFC 332
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“So every fight, I was training so hard to be ready for the championship.
“My opponent, Natalia Silva, she's a very good high-level striker. She has amazing footwork [and] distance control. And the kicks. I also studied her grappling. I think her grappling is decent, as well. But at the end, I think this fight will stay on the feet.”
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With both fighters’ comfort zones residing in the stand-up realm, Wang said that her skillset in the striking game will give her the edge on fight night.
“I think my advantage will be the distance control and the difference in the power of my punches and kicks.”
'The Joker' 🃏
— UFC (@ufc) September 29, 2026
Wang Cong has gold on her mind!
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Wang’s journey to the title fight has seen her receive support from her fellow Chinese fighters, including bantamweight contender and her Team Alpha Male teammate Song Yadong, who has been on hand to share some of his experience of big fights in the UFC during her run-up to fight week in Salt Lake City.
“My best friend Song, he gave me a lot of advice – not only mentally, but strategically,” she explained.
READ: A Viewer's Guide To UFC 332
“He will come to my fight and be in my corner, as always.”
If she’s successful in UFC 332’s main event, Wang’s story won’t stop with a championship victory. Instead, it may well produce an opportunity to write another chapter in her rivalry with former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, who relinquished the title after suffering an injury.
Once she’s back fit, she’s likely to get an immediate shot at her old belt, and that could put her on a collision course with “The Joker,” who she matched up with for the Kunlun Fight bantamweight kickboxing championship back in October 2015. Wang took the unanimous decision and title on that occasion, and said that she’d look to deliver an even more emphatic victory if they ever resumed their rivalry in the Octagon.
“Yes, this is the fight I always looking forward to having,” she said.
“We had the fight before, and she seems not happy and disagrees on the result. If we fight in the Octagon, I will make sure she knows who's the better one.”
UFC 332: Silva vs Wang took place live from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 3, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!