Tag: UFC Fight Night 168

UFC Fight Night 211 free fight: Yan Xiaonan batters Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Yan Xiaonan’s rise to her first main event at UFC Fight Night 211 included a drubbing of ex-title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

[autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] will attempt to return to winning form in the next main event on the UFC schedule.

Xiaonan (13-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is slated to meet Mackenzie Dern (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 211 main event on Oct. 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and she seeks a rebound from a current two-fight losing skid.

Prior to dropping back-to-back fights against Marina Rodriguez and Carla Esparza, Xiaonan put together six consecutive victories to begin her UFC tenure.

One of those wins came against former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz (13-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC), who Xiaonan thoroughly defeated by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 168 on Feb 23, 2020 in Auckland.

The matchup, which was the featured contest on the card in the strawweight division, saw China’s Xiaonan overwhelm her Polish foe in all areas, even picking up a 10-8 round on the scorecards.

The win elevated Xiaonan’s stock in the 115-pound division, and just over two years later she finds herself in a UFC main event for the first time.

Watch the video above to see Xiaonan’s performance against Kowalkiewicz (courtesy of the UFC’s YouTube channel), and check out MMA Junkie’s photo gallery below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 211.

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UFC free fight: Jimmy Crute arrives with slick finish of Michał Oleksiejczuk

See why Jimmy Crute emerged as one of the most exciting young stars in the light heavyweight division in 2020.

[autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] marked himself as one to watch in the UFC’s light heavyweight division in 2020.

The young Australian fought twice this year, and earned “Performance of the Night” both times.

And while his October knockout of Modestas Bukauskas was impressive, the win which really put him on the map occurred at UFC Auckland in February.

There, Crute (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) took on a well-established foe in Michał Oleksiejczuk. Crute spent the better part of the fight out-grappling his foe, and turned it into an impressive Kimura submission at the 3:29 mark of the opening round.

Crute doesn’t yet have his next fight lined up. But given what we saw from him in 2020, whenever that fight is announced, it will no doubt it will be one to watch. In the meantime, the UFC has made his outstanding finish of Oleksiejczuk free to view, and you can watch it in the video above.

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UFC Fight Night 168: Paul Felder vs. Dan Hooker, Preview, Fight Card, Live Stream, How to Watch

Here’s how to watch the UFC fight tonight. Live stream UFC Fight Night 168 with Paul Felder vs Dan Hooker

UFC 168 features a fight to set up the top of the lightweight division when Paul Felder takes on Dan Hooker. You won’t want to miss any of this exciting battle and you’ll only be able to watch it on ESPN+.

Felder has won his last five of his last six fights, with two decision victories over James Vick and Edson Barboza being his latest. Hooker has won six of his last seven, ending five of them early with either knockouts or submission victories.

For both, a win could catapult them into the rotation for a title shot in the lightweight division. Undefeated champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to fight Tony Ferguson in April at UFC 249 — a fight Connor McGregor will be paying close attention to as his next shot at the title. But after those fights are settled, Felder and Hooker could be in the mix to face whoever is left standing with the belt.

You’ll only be able to watch UFC Fight Night 168 and other UFC events live on ESPN+, so sign up now!

How to watch UFC Fight Night 168:

Who: Paul Felder (17-4) vs. Dan Hooker (19-8)

When: Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:00 p.m. ET

Where: Spark Arena, Aukland, New Zealand

UFC stream:

UFC live stream: Watch the UFC fight tonight on ESPN+.

Main Card (7 p.m. ET)

  • Paul Felder vs. Dan Hooker: Lightweight
  • Jim Crute vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk: Light Heavyweight
  • Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Yan Xiaonan: Women’s Strawweight
  • Ben Sosoli vs. Marcos Rogerio De Lima: Heavyweight
  • Brad Riddell vs. Magomed Mustafaev: Lightweight

Prelims (4 p.m. ET)

  • Kevin Aguilar vs. Zubaira Tukhugov: Featherweight
  • Jalin Turner vs. Josh Culibao: Lightweight
  • Jake Matthews vs. Emil Meek: Welterweight
  • Callan Potter vs. Son Kenan:
  • Kai Kara France vs. Tyson Nam: Flyweight
  • Loma Lookboonmee vs. Angela Hill: Women’s Strawweight
  • Maki Pitolo vs. Takashi Sato: Welterweight
  • Priscila Cachoeira vs. Shana Dobson: Women’s Flyweight

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