After a long road to a UFC main event, Yan Xiaonan delivered in a big way by defeating fellow strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern last Saturday. It was an introduction of sorts to the China native, who got to display her skills in a five-round headliner, and she held off one of the sport’s top grapplers in the process.
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Nearly five years after her debut, Yan has arrived, and wouldn’t that be something if the stars aligned and Zhang Weili regains her 115-pound title when she faces Carla Esparza in November, setting up an All-China showdown for the crown? That wouldn’t just be a big fight for the combatants, but for the sport and for China.
