LAS VEGAS – After decisions in her first seven UFC wins, Yan Xiaonan raised a bunch of eyebrows when she starched former champion Jessica Andrade nearly a year ago. That win, coupled with one over the highly touted Mackenzie Dern, pushed Xiaonan (17-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) to what will be the biggest moment of her career: a title shot against strawweight champ Zhang Weili (24-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in the UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) co-main event Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight is an important one: It will be the first all-China title fight in UFC history. But Xiaonan said Weili remains the more popular of the two in their home country. “There are still more people supporting her,” Xiaonan said at Wednesday’s media day.
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Yan Xiaonan: Home fans in China still side with champ Zhang Weili ahead of UFC 300 – MMA Junkie