Las Vegas, NV — Attending the 2023 UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Las Vegas on Thursday night, Chinese strawweight Yan Xiaonan made clear to media outlets including Cageside Press that she believes she should have been fighting for gold next.
Instead, it’s Amanda Lemos who gets that opportunity, facing champ Weili Zhang at UFC 292 in Boston next month.
And so Xiaonan (17-3) will play the waiting came, hoping to return in a fight in her native China at the end of the year.
“Maybe December. What I heard is that, there’s probably a China event in December. So I hope I will be on that card, and of course I hope it will be a title fight,” Xiaonan said Thursday.
Asked whether the UFC failing to match her up against countrywoman Zhang was a missed opportunity, Xiaonan replied saying that “I don’t know how UFC thinks about that match-up, but what I know is all the Chinese MMA fans, they want that fight. Because then we [we have] two girls from China representing the highest level of this sport.”
“In many other sports we’re really good at, like ping pong, diving, they’re always China vs. China,” Xiaonan continued. “So I think if we can get that one day in MMA, it would be huge in this sport in China. So that’s the fight the UFC should make.”
After defeating Mackenzie Dern and ex-champ Jessica Andrade in her last two outings, Xiaonan made it clear that she feels gold should be next. Regardless of who holds it. “I want to fight for the belt. Whoever is the champion, I will fight who [has the belt],” she stated.
Having said that, when it comes to Zhang vs. Lemos, Yan Xiaonan is siding with champ Weili.
“I still think Weili can win and defend her title, because Weili is at her peak, and I think [in] everything, she’s better than Lemos.”
Xiaonan has said in the past that she would be a better champion than Zhang, and reiterated that once more. Joking that “yeah, I’m prettier,” she added “and I’m a more technical fighter. I think from every, each aspect, I’m pretty confident I’m better than her.”
It’s a professional rivalry more than anything, she went on to explain.
“I don’t know about her, but for me, I think the relationship between me and Weili is kind of competitive. Everyone in this sport, in this business wants to be the champion, so that’s why I’m here. Some people, critics criticize me, [saying] ‘hey you shouldn’t call out Weili, and if she’s champion you shouldn’t fight for the championship.’ I don’t care, because that’s why I’m here. That’s also my goal, my ultimate goal is to be the champion.”
