On June 8, Beijing time, UFC316 kicked off in New Jersey, USA. With a difference of nearly 7 pounds in the pre-match weigh-in, Chinese female player Wang Cong fought with Brazilian player Arianne Silva, who ranked 13th in the flyweight category, for 3 rounds and won by unanimous decision, thus entering the top 15 of UFC.
This match was the first time Wang Cong faced a top 15 player since entering the octagon, but there was an "accident" before the match.
Wang Cong won the match.
In the routine weigh-in session, Wang Cong successfully weighed in, while his opponent Silva's weight exceeded the upper limit (115 to 125 pounds in the flyweight category) by 6 pounds. According to the rules, Wang Cong could have refused to fight, but she took on the match with almost no hesitation and visited her opponent who had difficulty losing weight as soon as possible.
At that time, Wang Cong said through social media: "Fortunately (the opponent's body) has no major problems. It's not easy for every athlete. She doesn't need to lose weight now. My task is to eat and drink well and have a good game tomorrow. Please believe me." Behind Wang Cong's calm expression is a determination to win.
In fact, Chinese players have encountered similar unfairness before. In September 2022, when Li Jingliang competed with Rodriguez, his opponent was 8.5 pounds overweight during the weigh-in. In the end, Li Jingliang lost by split decision despite having an advantage on the scene. Now Wang Cong is facing a more severe situation.
Female players are originally lighter, and the weight difference will have a greater impact on the game. Judging from the difference of nearly 7 pounds in weighing, after a day of recovery, the weight difference between the two sides during the game will undoubtedly reach more than 10 pounds, which is equivalent to a cross-level game.
You must know that the difference between the flyweight and the higher-level bantamweight is only 10 pounds. Why did Wang Cong take such a huge risk to accept this game?
Wang Cong faced the challenge of overweight opponents.
On the one hand, she has full confidence in her own strength. On the other hand, and perhaps more importantly, Wang Cong did not want her pre-match efforts to go to waste. In order to prepare for this battle, she rushed to the United States early and paid a lot in terms of body, spirit and funds.
If she gives up this game, she can only hope that UFC will rearrange the schedule and opponents. By then, it may take at least one or two months, or even several months to wait. For a player like Wang Cong who is not young (33 years old) and eager to hit a high ranking, wasting time will be an unbearable burden.
In view of this, Wang Cong did not think about it, but many media believed that with such a weight difference, Wang Cong was in trouble this time. As expected, the two people who walked into the octagonal cage had a physical difference in vision. Silva looked obviously bigger than Wang Cong, but Wang Cong dispelled everyone's doubts before the game with a complete victory.
In the first round, Wang Cong was more cautious. After gradually testing, Wang Cong launched a fierce attack until the last minute of the round. Her low kick hit the opponent's calf firmly, causing Silva to stagger in pain. Then Wang Cong continued to punish the opponent with heavy punches.
Wang Cong broke into the top 15 of UFC.
In the second round, Wang Cong continued the previous tactics, playing steadily in the early stage of the round, and punching and kicking in the final stage to severely injure the opponent. At the end of the round, Silva's leg was obviously injured. In the last round, Wang Cong did not attack rashly when the situation was active, and frequently used jabs to control the opponent. In the end, Wang Cong easily won by unanimous decision.
After this victory, Wang Cong's ranking successfully entered the top 15 of the flyweight class, which means that she can challenge more powerful players next.
In the post-match interview, Wang Cong said: "I am not satisfied, because I feel that I did not do my best, I can do better. I gave her the opportunity, as long as I am given time, I believe that I will be more exciting in the next game. Since I have such a good relationship with Brazil, many of my opponents are Brazilians, and I hope that Andrade (former champion) will be my next match."
Obviously, Wang Cong still has huge potential to tap, and she does not want to stop at all in the process of pursuing her dream. Since her UFC debut in August 2024, in just less than 10 months, Wang Cong has played 4 games. The frequency of the game is rare in the octagonal cage. Netizens affectionately call her a "model worker".
The reason why she accepts the game so frequently is not only due to her strength, but also because Wang Cong was defeated by Brazilian player Fernandez in Macau in November last year. Wang Cong does not want to hinder her established plan because of a defeat.
Before entering the UFC, Wang Cong made it clear that her ultimate goal was to win the gold belt. She wanted to quickly regain lost ground with continuous victories and reach the peak when she was in good shape. This time, Wang Cong was unmoved even if her opponent was overweight, which was the most obvious signal.
It is worth mentioning that when she first entered the UFC, Wang Cong talked about "bonuses" many times. For a new player like her, training funds are a problem. She is eager to get bonuses to relieve economic pressure. The unexpected defeat in Macau is also related to this. Wang Cong wanted to win beautifully for the bonus and get a KO, but she was defeated by her opponent in a hurry.
Wang Cong was previously defeated by Brazilian player Fernandez with a naked choke.
And this time Wang Cong is willing to fight "overweight players" for economic considerations. According to UFC rules, if one party fails to pass the weigh-in, if the opponent agrees to continue the game, the overweight player must pay 30% of his personal appearance fee to compensate the opponent.
Of course, with the pain of losing the last game, Wang Cong has become more mature now. She dares to fight any strong opponent and is not afraid of the weight difference of more than 10 pounds on the spot. At the same time, in the game, the veteran no longer takes risks and makes full use of her standing style to establish a point advantage. The past two games have been won by decision, which fully proves that Wang Cong has learned to be "smart" in the octagonal cage. She knows that winning the game is more important than anything else. Only by clearing the obstacles in front of her at the lowest cost can she stand on a higher stage.
After the game, Wang Cong talked about her current caution, "I feel that I am not crazy enough (on the field), and I will have some concerns in the cage. I have to go back and sharpen my wildness. (Since playing in UFC) What I have gained is to know more about my shortcomings, and then go back to practice crazily." It sounds like Wang Cong is likely to play more openly in the next game.
Wang Cong also has his own ideas about challenging the famous fighter Andrade. "Andrade is a particularly good player. She is ranked very high. I have watched her games before I switched to this event. She is very famous, so fighting her has always been an idea of mine."

Previously, Chinese players Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan both made a career leap by finishing Andrade in the strawweight division.

In August 2019, Zhang Weili TKOed Andrade in just 42 seconds and won the gold belt for the first time. In May 2023, Yan Xiaonan TKOed Andrade in one round to win the gold belt challenge. Now in the flyweight division, Wang Cong also looks forward to testing his strength through Andrade as a touchstone.

When will Wang Cong's next fight be? She said with great force: "Shanghai, I want to play in Shanghai, I am a model worker."
The Shanghai Fight Night will be held at the Shanghai Stadium on August 23, which is only two and a half months away. Wang Cong finished the game without injury. In theory, she has the conditions to enter the next game immediately, and the UFC officials also hope to use more influential Chinese players in the local competitions in China.
From this perspective, everything is possible. Wang Cong's UFC debut took place on August 25 last year. If the Shanghai game is held, Wang Cong will achieve the feat of playing 5 games in a year.

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