Tag: Yan Xiaonan

UFC 288 ‘Embedded,’ No. 1: Aljamain Sterling riles up the hometown fans before title defense

The “Embedded” fight-week video series is back to document what’s happening behind the scenes at UFC 288 in Newark, N.J.

The UFC is back with its sixth pay-per-view of the year, which means the popular “Embedded” fight-week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 288 takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

In the main event, bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) takes on former two-division champion [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who is returning after a retirement of nearly three years.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) fights for the third time so far in 2023 and second time in a month when he takes on [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in a key welterweight bout. Plus, former women’s strawweight champ [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 UFC) meets [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC).

The first episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champ Aljamain Sterling shows out for his hometown fans. Henry Cejudo trains with his team; Gilbert Burns stays close to home. Belal Muhammad pushes with another Chi-town title hopeful. Bryce Mitchell embraces retro recovery techniques.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 288.

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Video: UFC 288 ‘Countdown’ for Jessica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan

Did you miss the debut of UFC 288 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the featured bout preview now.

Did you miss the debut of UFC 288 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the featured dbout preview now.

The segment takes a special look at the women’s strawweight showdown between former champion [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 UFC) and top contender [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC).

UFC 288 takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

“Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 288.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 27-March 5)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Feb. 27-March 5.

Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Yan Xiaonan after UFC Fight Night 211 win?

See whom Yan Xiaonan should fight next after her main event victory over Mackenzie Dern at UFC Fight Night 211.

[autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] prevailed in her first main event opportunity against Mackenzie Dern at UFC Fight Night 211.

It came down to a razor-thin results, but Xiaonan (14-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) was awarded a majority decision victory over Dern (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in Saturday’s strawweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, snapping a two-fight losing skid.

The result puts Xiaonan back on the right track in the division, but what’s next for her? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on her future after UFC Fight Night 211.

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

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5 biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night 211/Bellator 286: Which company won the night?

UFC and Bellator both ran shows on Saturday, but which organization had the better night?

What mattered most at UFC Fight Night 211 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and Bellator 286 at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif.? Here are a few post-fight musings …

Yan Xiaonan happy to snap losing skid at UFC Fight Night 211: ‘A year long I didn’t feel happy’

Yan Xiaonan relieved to be back in the win column.

[autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] is over the moon.

The UFC strawweight contender is overjoyed with her win over Mackenzie Dern in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 211 in Las Vegas. After 25 minutes of fighting, Yan (15-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) defeated Dern (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in a majority decision.

The victory put Yan back in the win column. The Chinese fighter hadn’t tasted victory since November 2020 prior to Saturday night.

“I cannot be happier right now,” Yan said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I lost my last two fights, so a year long I didn’t feel happy. I was pretty low in the previous year. I worked so hard hoping this day would come back to me.”

“… I feel very happy that I made the right choice to stay in the U.S. and keep training at Team Alpha Male. The whole team helped me a lot. Mackenzie’s jiu-jitsu is definitely another level. I felt it during the fight. She’s very dangerous. There were a lot of times during the fight it was very dangerous. But I survived through that and I made it.”

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Prior to the pair of defeats, Yan was on a 13-fight unbeaten run, with six of those fights under the UFC banner. She was considered a top title contender, and she wants to return to that status.

“My ultimate goal in the UFC is the belt,” Yan said. “Now I have fought the best wrestler in this division, the best striker in this division, the best jiu-jitsu fighter in this division. So no matter who the UFC gives me, I don’t fear. Just, let’s fight.”

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

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UFC Fight Night 211 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2022 total hits $6.5 million

UFC has paid out $6.5 million in Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay to its athletes this year after UFC Fight Night 211.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 211 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $164,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 211 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 211 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Don Shainis[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Daniel Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]John Castaneda[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Joaquim Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jesse Ronson[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Randy Costa[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2117 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2111 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,491,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $12,658,500

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

UFC Fight Night 211 results: Yan Xiaonan takes majority decision over Mackenzie Dern in main event

Yan Xiaonan shined on the feet and escaped Mackenzie Dern’s submission attempts on the mat in the main event of UFC Fight Night 211.

The classic clash of styles between a striker and grappler told the story of the UFC Fight Night 211 main event.

[autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] was able to show her striking skills while stifling the aggressive grappling and submission threat of Mackenzie Dern, leading to a majority decision after 25 minutes of action.

When the dust settled, Yan (15-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) did enough to convince two of the three judges she was the winner of the bout with two scores of 48-47, while a third judge thought Dern (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) rallied hard enough in the final frame to make the fight a draw.

The women’s strawweight bout was the UFC Fight Night 211 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Punches and kicks were traded frequently at the beginning of the first round. Dern offered punches upstairs while Yan mixed up her attack with kicks to the legs. Midway through the round, Dern got in on a single leg against the fence, but Yan displayed solid takedown defense to keep the fight standing. While the second Dern takedown attempt was also stopped, the third saw the fighters go to the ground. However, Yan reversed and ended up on top, and landed a few punches before the round ended.

After a few striking exchanges to start the second, Dern sold out for Yan’s legs, and scooted across the mat until she was able to bring her down to attack submissions. A slick transition from the BJJ ace saw Dern lock in an omoplata, which transitioned to an arm triangle. Yan was able to escape both attempts, but Dern ended up in full mount, where she began raining down punches.

Yan landed solid strikes to begin the third, but her momentum was halted when Dern locked up an arm and pulled her down into guard. They returned to their feet a seconds later, and continued trading hard strikes. A hard left hand wobbled Dern, but Yan was unable to capitalize on the moment. Yan continued to land sharply from distance, but Dern was able to complete a takedown in the closing seconds of the round.

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A Dern single-leg attempt was turned away by Yan early in the fourth. Working behind a sharp left jab, Yan kept Dern at distance, and unloaded combinations when she tried to close the range. The kicks from Yan resurfaced as well. Dern was able to pull guard from a takedown attempt, and although she was able to get an armbar attempt in, there was not enough time on the clock.

Dern came out aggressive and got Yan to the mat just 30 seconds into the round. Armbar threats mixed with punches from full mount put Yan in a world of trouble with a lot of time on the clock. Yan gave up her back, but Dern continued to hunt for submissions while landing punches. Dern went for an armbar, but Yan escaped and the fighters traded punches on the ground until the horn.

Two of the judges saw the fight in Yan’s favor, while another saw the bout as a draw.

Yan gets back in the win column, putting an end to a two-fight skid. The No. 9 ranked strawweight in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings entered on the heels of a pair of setbacks against Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez. Prior to her skid, however, Yan won her first six appearances under the UFC banner.

Dern entered on the heels of a split decision win over Tecia Torres at UFC 273 in April. Trading wins and losses over her last four outings, a loss to Marina Rodriguez stopped Dern’s four-fight win streak that included three first-round submission wins.

Up-to-the-minute results of UFC Fight Night 211 include:

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

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UFC Fight Night 211: Mackenzie Dern vs. Yan Xiaonan odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 211 odds and lines between Mackenzie Dern vs. Yan Xiaonan, with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a women’s strawweight bout in the main event, Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 211 at UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the UFC Fight Night 211: Dern vs. Yan odds, with expert picks and predictions.

The fight can be viewed on ESPN+ with the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET and the main card at 7 p.m. ET.

In terms of stature, this is a very even fight. Both fighters are 115 pounds, with Yan standing just 1 inch taller. The two fighters have an identical 63-inch reach.

Yan checks in on a 2-bout losing skid, falling to Marina Rodriguez via split decision last time out at UFC 272 in March and to Carla Esparza by way of 2nd-round KO/TKO in May 2021. Since arriving at the UFC level, Yan has gone the distance in 7 of her 8 fights.

The Team RVCA fighter Dern posted a split-decision over Tecia Torres last time out at UFC 273 in April, washing the sour taste out of her mouth from a unanimous-decision loss to Marina Rodriguez in her previous fight in Oct. 2021. While just 3 of her past 6 fights have required the help of the judges, she has had 3 decisions in her last 4 outings.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 211 Dern vs. Yan odds

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:53 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Dern -250 (bet $250 to win $100) | Yan +190 (bet $100 to win $190)
  • Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -145 | Under +105)

Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!

UFC Fight Night 211 Dern vs. Xiaonan picks and predictions

Records: Dern (12-2-0) | Yan (15-3-0)

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Dern (-250) is a little on the expensive side, costing you 2 1/2 times your potential return. While I believe the Brazilian fighter is able to get it done, that’s too much risk for not enough reward. Let’s get more specific.

Yan tends to take these fights deep into the night, requiring the judges to make a decision in 7 of the past 8. DERN BY POINTS (+410) is worth a roll of the dice, although the books expect this to be finished sooner than that.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (-145) is a very good play. Yan has been involved in just 1 fight in the past 8 to finish inside the distance.

As a result, YES (+150): FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE at plus-money is an absolute steal as well.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.

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UFC Fight Night 211 predictions: Four unanimous picks and two blowouts in Las Vegas

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 211 main card, which features Mackenzie Dern vs. Yan Xiaonan at strawweight.

Dern
vs.
Xiaonan		 Brown
vs.
Trinaldo		 Barcelos
vs.
Jones		 Shainis
vs.
Yusuff		 Castaneda
vs.
Santos		 Borschev
vs.
Davis
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
154-93		 dern2022
Dern
(77%)		 brown2022
Brown
(77%)		 barcelos2022
Barcelos
(80%)		 yusuff2022
Yusuff
(90%)		 castaneda2022
Castaneda
(76%)		 davis2022
Davis
(66%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
165-87
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
161-91		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
159-93
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 borschev2022
Borschev
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
157-95		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
156-96		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
155-97		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 borschev2022
Borschev
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
155-97		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 borschev2022
Borschev
Nolan King
@mma_kings
148-104		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
147-105
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
138-114		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
123-128		 dern2022
Dern		 trinaldo2022
Trinaldo		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis

The UFC is back on its home turf after a week off, and a pair of women’s strawweight contenders headline the card.

UFC Fight Night 211 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at 115 pounds. Dern is a -240 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Xiaonan is +180. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Dern as one of four unanimous picks on the main card at 11-0.

The co-main event features [autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) vs. [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 18-7 UFC) at welterweight. Brown is a -350 favorite, but he’s not unanimous. One of our pickers is taking Trinaldo to pull off the upset.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in a bantamweight bout. Barcelos is a -260 favorite and one of our four unanimous picks.

UFC newcomer [autotag]Don Shainis[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will have a tough task on his hands for his promotional debut when he meets [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at featherweight. Yusuff is the biggest favorite on the card at 11-1, and not surprisingly is a unanimous pick from our staff members.

Our fourth unanimous nod is [autotag]John Castaneda[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in his fight against [autotag]Daniel Santos[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), which will take place at a contracted 140-pound catchweight. Castaneda is the smallest favorite on the man card at -190, but he pitched an 11-0 shutout in the picks.

And to open the main card, we have our most contentious bout from a picks standpoint. [autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at lightweight. Davis is a 2-1 favorite at the betting window and has a big 8-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Dern (77 percent), Brown (77 percent), Barcelos (80 percent), Yusuff (90 percent), Castaneda (76 percent) and Davis (66 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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

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