Before Wang Cong faces disconnected with her opponents, she dyes her hairsbreadth green, paints her look achromatic and draws a agleam reddish grin from feature to cheek.
Fans whitethorn presume Cong is paying tribute to Batman's notorious arch-enemy the Joker, but the Chinese combatant says her persona is rooted successful the joker playing paper that inspired the comic-book villain.
The 34-year-old, who is connected a four-fight triumph streak, says she tin "feel the fear" successful her opponents erstwhile she wears the look paint.
On Saturday astatine UFC 332 successful Salt Lake City, Cong volition beryllium hoping she tin invoke the aforesaid emotions successful Brazilian Natalia Silva, erstwhile the brace combat for the vacant flyweight satellite title.
"It means the astir almighty card, truthful I privation to beryllium the astir powerful," Cong tells BBC Sport.
"When I person overgarment connected I consciousness crazy. It makes maine execute better, it inspires me. There's not overmuch antithetic betwixt overgarment and nary paint, this is my existent personality."
Cong has bewildered opponents astatine weigh-ins portion wearing the look paint, and says she adjacent adopts the Joker alias erstwhile utilizing societal media messaging backmost location successful China.
She tossed an imaginary coin and pretended to sprout a weapon earlier her combat against Gabriella Fernandes successful 2024, portion successful July she bizarrely talented Tracy Cortez a battalion of fake eyelashes earlier the pair's flyweight encounter.
Cong laughs arsenic she reveals Silva tin expect a "surprise" of her ain earlier their combat astatine the Delta Centre, though she past turns superior arsenic she pays tribute to her opponent.
Silva, 29, enters the contention connected a 14-fight triumph streak crossed antithetic promotions and is the favourite to seizure the vacant rubric aft Valentina Shevchenko was forced to vacate the loop past period done injury.
"She's an unthinkable fighter, an eight-fight triumph streak successful UFC, beaten 3 erstwhile champions, she has astonishing footwork, region power and kicks," adds Cong.
English (US)·