In a close, scrappy fight, it was Xiaonan Yan coming out ahead on the judge’s scorecards at UFC 238.
Former Invicta FC champion Angela Hill returned at UFC 238 in Chicago on Saturday. The Fight Pass preliminary card saw ‘Overkill’ take on China’s Xiaonan Yan, a fighter undefeated through three fights since starting her UFC run. Hill was entering the fight off a win over Jodie Esquibel, and looking to make it two in a row against the talented prospect.
The fight began with Hill on the outside early, while Xiaonan pressing, but the opening minutes were very much a back-and-forth battle with both women constantly moving. Xiaonan, however, was soon landing her right, catching Hill a number of times with crisp punches. Hill would later set up a takedown attempt off a superman punch, which resulted in Xiaonan employing a rubber guard as the fight hit the midway point of the first. As they went back to the feet, Hill connected with a surprise right, but a takedown attempt then backfired for Overkill, with Xiaonan landing on top in guard. Hill was looking for an arm-bar, and later a triangle, while Xiaonan looked to work her arm through. By the end of the round, the Chinese fighter was stuck in a triangle in trouble, but Xiaonan was saved by the bell.
Yan Xiaonan came out firing in the second, opening with a side kick and bullying her opponent up against the fence. Hill looked to find her way in on her opponent, while Xiaonan pepperd her opponent with kicks, left jabs, and seemed overall to be in a higher gear. Near the midway mark Hill would drive in for a takedown, but Xiaonan stayed standing. By the end of the round, Xiaonan had begun putting combinations together, while Hill was throwing single strikes. Before the bell, Xiaonan landed a key takedown, and while Hill made it back up, she was tagged in the process, and this time it was Angela Hill who was saved by the bell.
Turning on the heat! #UFC238 pic.twitter.com/0otK1m3rwk
— UFC (@ufc) June 8, 2019
Round three had Hill go to the body with a kick early; Xiaonan countered with a punch. The side kick Xiaonan had flashed earlier in the fight returned, landing to the head put partially blocked. Later in the round, Hill would finally land one of those power punches, connecting with a right. Xiaonan survived, however, and Hill was running out of time in a fight she was arguably slightly behind in. She connected with a right, a side kick, and continued to pressure into the final minute. Hill was turning it up, landing jabs and kicks, but Xiaonan continued to answer back to the final bell.
Xiaonan Yan def. Angela Hill by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
