The UFC has officially signed Yan Xiaonan, which will be the promotion’s first female fighter from China on the roster. The 28-year-old has a Sanda base and has has fought in various promotions including highly regarded Asian organizations in Road FC and URCC.
The Chinese strawweight has a public professional record of 7-1, with 1 No Contest, although it is worth noting that most Chinese fighters don’t have their complete records listed on western outlets like Sherdog or Tapology.
No opponent has been revealed, but Yan is expected to make her debut as part of the November UFC: Shanghai card headlined by Anderson Silva vs. Kelvin Gastelum. She has recently been training with China Top Team, which is home to another talented UFC fighter in welterweight standout Li Jingliang.
Yan is considered by some to be among the best female fighters from China, and she has certainly proven her talent in the regional scene. After getting two wins in Road FC, her last bout was a big step up in competition, as she took on an established veteran in Emi Fujino. It ended in a no-contest after an accidental headbutt, but it was a bout that she was arguably winning as well.
Watch clips from a couple of her recent bouts below, where she constantly uses her Sanda-base to pick opponents off with lead side kicks.
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