Disaster struck for Wang Cong when she suffered the first defeat of her career at UFC Macau on Saturday.
The popular prospect was 6-0 heading into her meeting with Brazil's Gabriella Fernandes in China this weekend, and was a huge 10/1 favorite to continue her winning run. After an awkward confrontation at yesterday's weigh-ins, the two faced off in a main card clash on a night full of vicious stoppages.
And after a first round that saw Wang Cong go all over the place, Fernandes showed off her kickboxing skills by dropping the home fighter. And she then started wrestling as she immediately took the back, going for a rear naked choke that knocked her rival unconscious.
Gabriella Fernandes chokes Wang Cong unconscious during UFC Macau
Wang Cong got off to a great start on Saturday, using her striking assets to put together a solid first round against Fernandes who needed a few minutes to dust off the cobwebs. At the start of the second, the home fighter was on all three scorecards.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
But in the second the tide started to turn and things became more difficult for Wang Cong. She was floored with a perfectly timed right hand, and was also shot after a head kick that perfectly planted Fernandes.
Within seconds, in one of the quickest turnovers of her career, Fernandes managed to get the back end and lock in a rear-naked choke. Wang Cong refused to tap, meaning referee Marc Goddard had to stop the match when commentator John Gooden declared, “She's out!”
Gabriella Fernandes opens up about losing family members in emotional post-fight interview
Following the result, Fernandes appeared uncharacteristically emotional during her post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. She revealed that she had lost two close family members in recent months and had been living in her gym for the better part of a year.
“I have been living in a gym for ten months and just concentrate on fighting,” she explained through an interpreter. “I lost my dad two weeks before my last fight and I lost my fight and I just lost my sister. I wasn't told until today and I couldn't see her.
“My sister told me they didn't want me to pull out of the fight, so they told me that right before the fight. Both my hands hurt, my foot hurts. Listen, I came here as an underdog, I came all the way to China and now look at me!”
Wang Cong had tried to intimidate Gabriella Fernandes with a bizarre 'Joker' weigh-in
Leading up to the fight, there was a bizarre moment during their final weigh-in on Friday. Wang Cong has become infamous for dressing up in face paint as DC comic book villain 'The Joker', and this time was no different.
The Chinese boxer appeared to wander towards her opponent, who probably didn't understand what was being said as they faced each other. Then Wang Cong imitated the toss of a coin and made gun signs at her rival, who stood confused on the other side.
They eventually shook hands, but their entire confrontation was an awkward affair that got people talking on social media. Almost every comment under the clip, which was viewed tens of thousands of times, seemed to support Wang Cong to win, which ultimately did not happen.
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