Outside Source
Two Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweights with an eye on the prize will tangle for a possible crack at gold.
Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight announced on Thursday that Xiaonan Yan (19-4, 1 NC) and Virna Jandiroba (21-3) would be throwing down on UFC 314. The top-ranked 115-pounders might be vying for the next shot at the crown that will be held by either Weili Zhang or Tatiana Suarez. Jandiroba had been calling for this match on social media for the past month, and according to her on Friday, she will get her wish come April 12 in Miami.
Yan fought for the strawweight crown at UFC 300 in April 2024, and she came up short to Zhang by a one-sided decision. That put an end to a win streak that saw the Team Alpha Male representative beat Mackenzie Dern by five-round decision and wreck Jessica Andrade in half a round. Since joining the roster in 2017, finishes have come at a premium for Yan, who holds one knockout victory against a knockout loss on a ledger otherwise populated by decisions.
While Yan won her last fight—a three-round verdict over Tabatha Ricci—the contender from Brazil has prevailed in four straight to propel her into this top-three encounter. Activity rate has been a thorn in the side of the former Invicta Fighting Championships queen, with those four wins coming in the last three years. On her way up the ladder, she scored three decisions over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez and Lupita Godinez before squaring off with Amanda Lemos and tapping her with an armbar.
UFC 314 is scheduled for April 12, and its likely but unofficial destination will be Miami’s Kaseya Center. Two other major bouts are currently featured on its lineup, as Nikita Krylov takes on Dominick Reyes in a big light heavyweight showcase, while Gilbert Burns tries to win one for the old guard against unbeaten up-and-comer Michael Morales.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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