Petr Yan reminded his teammates that he still has all the tools to someday regain power in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division.
“No Mercy” outboxed, outfoxed and defeated Deiveson Figueiredo by a five-round unanimous decision in the UFC Fight Night 248 headliner Saturday at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. Yan (18-5, 10-4 UFC) won the card by an identical score of 50-45 from the judges, ending the three fights that plagued him from April 9, 2022 to March 11, 2023. He further distanced himself from his poor health.
Figueiredo (24-4-1 UFC, 13-4-1) didn’t have an answer for the volume and versatility the former 135-pound titleholder brought. Yang used feints and stance switches to keep him off balance and create openings for his finely tuned offensive arsenal. Biting leg kicks, precise punch combinations, and slashing uppercuts at close range tipped the spear, but he also found time to mix in flying knees, spinning backfists, and jumping switch kicks. Figueiredo also made a strong comeback, but was unable to unmark the Russian and was shut out for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, Team Alpha Male star Xiaonan Yan bounced back from her loss to reigning champion Weili Zhang on April 13th to take on underdog Tabatha Ricci in a three-round women’s strawweight co-main event. Defeated by unanimous decision. All three cageside judges gave the same score, 30-27 for Yan (19-4, 9-3 UFC).
Ricci (11-3, 6-3 UFC) was unable to properly manage his distance and was miserably outclassed in the stand-up exchange. Yan continued to withstand the Brazilian with punches and kicks, growing more confident and secure by the second. Rich managed to get a takedown in the second round, but was powerless to contain the Shenyang, China native. Once back on his feet, Yan immediately picked up where he left off, continuing to deliver consistent blows with thorough one-twos, intermittent kicks, and jarring right counters.
The setback ended Ricci’s winning streak at two games.
Further down the main card, in the first round of the welterweight showcase, Muslim Salikhov eliminated Black Tiger representative Kenan Song with a roundhouse kick. Son (22-9, 6-5 UFC) was over 3 minutes, 49 seconds into the first round, suffering his third loss in four fights.
Salikhov (21-5, 8-4 UFC) softened his opponent’s lead leg with repeated kicks and targeted the body with a variety of attacks. Song broke the Russian’s knees with a sneaky left hook, but could not back it up with anything meaningful, allowing the 40-year-old fighter to escape potential danger. Salikhov then found his preferred range and leveled the “Assassin” with perfectly timed and skillfully placed wheel kicks. He sneaked a final standing ground hammerfist before referee Mark Craig arrived on the scene.
The ageless Salikhov currently has 14 first-round finishes.
Elsewhere, MMA Masters standout Gabriela Fernandez pulled off the biggest upset of the year in the second round of the women’s flyweight division, putting unbeaten Kong Wang to sleep with a rear-naked choke. Fernandez (10-3, 2-2 UFC) completed the shutout 3 minutes and 49 seconds into the second round, scoring his second win of his career.
Wang (6-1, 1-1 UFC) was comfortably in control until the stunning finish. She called for sharp combinations, brutal body shots and exquisite head movement, and appeared to have built a lead on the scorecards. Late in the second round, Fernandez staggered the venerable kickboxer with a head kick, then maintained his balance and landed a powerful straight left. She followed Mr. Wang to the canvas, went behind him, and slipped the chalk into place. Fernandez readjusted his grip, flattened the “joker,” and let her hold the rest.
This was Fernandez’s second rear-naked choke submission in his 13-fight career.
Further down the main card, City kickboxing export Carlos Ulberg moved a step closer to championship contention with a unanimous decision win over Volkan Oezdemir in a three-round light heavyweight attraction. All three cageside judges scored the fight 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for the once defeated Wolberg (11-1, 7-1 UFC).
Oezdemir (20-8, 8-7 UFC) mostly held his own in stand-up exchanges, finding some success with thuds and leg kicks. However, when pursuing his elusive opponent, he often used his face as a shield, causing the All Stars Training Center personnel to cut him on the bridge of his nose and near his right eye. Ulberg fought back brilliantly throughout, landing the majority of the decisive blows and staggering his Swiss opponent multiple times in the first two rounds.
Ullberg, 34, is currently on a seven-fight winning streak.
Finally, Xinjiang Fight Gym product Mingyang Zhang knocked down former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Osman Diaz with a standing elbow attack and follow-up strikes in the first round of a light heavyweight appetizer. Zhang (18-6, 2-0 UFC), a rising star at 205 pounds, pulled the curtain 2 minutes and 25 seconds into round one.
Diaz (9-3, 0-1 UFC) was never given a chance to get into gear. Chan tested the waters with low kicks, set range with several multi-punch bursts, and took down the Brazilian with counters as they closed in on each other. He knocked Diaz down with an elbow and pounced on him with punches until the job was done.
Chan, 26, has won 11 straight races, all of which have been completed.
In the preliminary round, Ronner Kavanaugh (8-0, 1-0 UFC) drew a unanimous decision over Jose Ochoa (7-1, 0-1 UFC) in three rounds at flyweight, marking his perfect professional performance. Maintained good results. The cageside judges scored it 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. “Road to UFC” Season 3 Bantamweight Finals: Yongyu Su (14-3, 1-0 UFC) defeats Gieleisi Bergeng (18-6, 0-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in three rounds , and the cards were tied. Scores 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Dong-hoon Choi (9-0, 1-0 UFC) defeats Kierandip Singh Sahota (12-3, 0-1 UFC) clean in the first round of the “Road to UFC 3” flyweight final. I broke it with a right hook. ; 46 seconds into the third round of the ‘Road to UFC’ Season 3 women’s strawweight finals, Ming Xi (17-5, 1-0 UFC) defeats Xiaokang Feng (10-3, 0-1) (defeated in the UFC) with a head kick. Carlos Hernadez (10-4, 3-3 UFC) wins 29-28, 28-29 against Nyamjargal Tumendenberel (8-1, 0-1 UFC) in a third-round flyweight bout. , received a split scorecard of 29-28. Long Hsiao (27-9, 1-0 UFC) eliminated Quan Le (8-2, 0-2 UFC) with punches 1:28 into the third round of the bantamweight bout. Nicolas Motta (15-5, 3-2 UFC) takes a unanimous decision from Maheshate Heisael (10-4, 2-3 UFC) in a three-round lightweight combination, improving to 30-27 overall. obtained the mark.
