MMA Knockout

Yan Xiaonan Calls for Zhang Weili Rematch After Dominant UFC Macau Win

"Nine" looked impressive in her first fight since challenging for the UFC strawweight title.

Drew Beaupre

(Zuffa LLC)

The co-main event of UFC Macau featured a matchup between top strawweight contenders Yan Xiaonan and Tabatha Ricci.

Yan Dominates Ricci At UFC Macau

Following back-to-back wins over Mackenzie Dern and former strawweight queen Jessica Andrade, Xiaonan was booked for an all-Chinese title fight against reigning champion Zhang Weili at UFC 300 and lost a unanimous decision in a closely-contested affair.

UFC Macau Live Results & Highlights: Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Yan was next given a chance to compete in the co-main event of the UFC's return to Macau, where "Nine" was tasked with defending her #2 strawweight ranking against the #10-ranked Ricci.

"Baby Shark" entered UFC Macau looking to score her third-straight win after taking decisions over Tecia Pennington and Angela Hill earlier this year, but even after those wins the 29-year-old still found herself as a small underdog against the former title challenger.

Yan wasted no time establishing her reach advantage during the opening round, and in the early going Ricci was unable to close the distance in order to try and bring things to the mat.

"Nine" got a bit too aggressive early in the second frame and was briefly taken down, but after returning to her feet Yan once again dominated the majority of the round with her striking against an increasingly-frustrated Ricci.

The 29-year-old came out in the third round knowing she needed a finish, and although Ricci was significantly more aggressive she was unable to land anything of real significance and ultimately lost a unanimous decision to her Chinese opponent.

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Yan's win in the co-main event followed a highlight-reel wheel kick knockout from Muslim Salikhov at the expense of Song Kenan after Gabriella Fernandes upset the formerly undefeated Cong Wang, all of which led up to the UFC Macau main event between Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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