Cong Wang believes she can beat Valentina Shevchenko yet again after a highlight-reel finish to start off her Ultimate Fighting Championship career.
Wang started off the preliminary action opposite Victoria Leonardo at UFC on ESPN 62 on Saturday. “The Joker,” who dressed up as her moniker during pre-fight face-offs, took just 62 seconds to shut the lights out on Leonardo with a vicious right hand. This also marked the fastest finish in history for a UFC women’s flyweight debutant.
The undefeated Chinese standout subsequently called out Casey O’Neill in a bid to fast track her way to the rankings.
“Just looking at the rankings. I think it’s a good fight,” Wang said during a post-fight media scrum. “I just want to jump in the rankings and get my title shot.”
Wang also holds a unanimous decision victory in kickboxing over former UFC champ Shevchenko in 2015 under the Kunlun Fight banner. The former 32-year-old Wushu champion, Asian Games medallst and amateur boxing World Championships medalist believes she has all the necessary skills to replicate that win over Shevchenko in MMA.
“You guys only know I beat Shevchenko in kickboxing,” Wang said. “But you don’t know, I’m a Sanda world champion, boxing world champion and kickboxing world champion. I think [if you] compare Valentina Shevchenko to me, she has more experience. But I took some time to compete in boxing. I believe my striking is better than her.”
Speaking of a potential timeline for that matchup, Wang said she’s ready whenever “Bullet” is. However, Shevchenko is currently focused on an attempt to reclaim her flyweight title in a trilogy clash against Alexa Grasso in the main event at UFC 306 on Sept. 14 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Having shared the ring with Shevchenko, Wang believes she can beat Grasso.
“I believe she can take the title again,” Wang said. “Because we competed in kickboxing, I know how good she is and I believe in her.”
