Newark, NJ — It’s hard to find fault in Wang Cong’s performance at UFC 316, where she defeated an opponent in Ariane Da Silva who came in six pounds heavy for the fight— but it seems as if Cong is her own worst critic.
“I feel like I didn’t show my skill fully, I only showed a little bit. I improved so much in training, but I didn’t just go,” she told media outlets including Cageside Press following the bout, which saw China’s Cong (8-1) capture a unanimous decision and defeat her first ranked opponent in the process.
She’d later explain, speaking via translator, that “I feel like I’m still kind of conservative in the octagon. I feel like I should open my character.”
“I should be crazy like [the] Joker,” she added, a nod to the Clown Prince of Crime, a character she portrays at weigh-ins and whom her nickname comes from.
While she might want to channel The Joker, it was Team Alpha Male, Urijah Faber and company, helping Wang Cong to victory on Saturday. She’s now trained with the team for a short time.
“They helped me so much, they made me feel very confident there. I feel I need more time, I need to learn more skills, and I will put on more exciting performances.”
With the goal of becoming a UFC champion, flyweight Cong also feels that Saturday’s performance has shown where the holes in her game are. “I feel like this fight made me know where my shortages are. I will go back and train like crazy.”
Watch the full UFC 316 post-fight media appearance by Wang Cong above.
