A new competition emerged in the UFC’s strawweight division as Yan Xiaonan achieved the biggest win of her career by unanimously winning over previous title competitor Claudia arguing.
The 31-year-old veteran showed fast hands, good footwork and an impressive attack that Gadelha fought back for most of the fight. When the last trumpet sounded, the rulers all agreed with Yan to claim the victory with all score cards 29-28 reading in her favor.
With successive wins over Gadelha and another former title contender at Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Yan is close to claiming a final title against fellow countryman Zhang Weili.
“I feel very happy,” said Yan after the victory. “[I’m ready for a title fight] Anytime, that depends on Dana White. He can arrange the fight [against Zhang Weili] At what time. “
The fight eventually went Yan’s way but in the opening moments of the first round, her arguer used her game plan by transmitting motion to the ground as she looked to showcase her wrestling experience. To her credit, Yan didn’t give up the position just because she started shooting with hammer fists and elbows on her back, forcing her arguer to act for every second of control she gained on the carpet.
As the fight moved into the second round, Yan managed to stay afloat, causing Gadelha trouble. Yan was quick with her hands, shooting several consecutive shots and held the Brazilian at the end of her punch.
Yan continued to pump a heavy bullet with a shot that continued to squeak her nose and push her head back as she pressed forward. This also caused Gadelha to be more intentional in her removal attempts, which then allowed Lian to strike back and make sure she stayed standing.
As time ran out, Yan was still throwing speed and strength behind the punches. The judges were clearly paying attention and this resulted in the decision winning the Chinese weight.
A victory might not put Yan directly in the title-winning streak as Zhang is expected to face former champion Rose Namagonas in early 2021 but her path is much shorter now after beating her arguments in UFC Vegas 13.
