Yan Xiaonan easily outstruck Tabatha Ricci today at UFC Fight Night 248 to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
Xiaonan with a couple of reaching punches but not finding her range so far. A couple of glancing kicks from Xiaonan now. She loads up on a punch, but Ricci backs off to avoid it.
Right hand from Xiaonan and Ricci tries to counter with a takedown that’s brushed aside.
Side kick attempt from Xiaonan. Fast right hand to the body for her. Missed punches from Xiaonan but lands another front kick to the body.
Body punch for Xiaonan. Leg kick. Ricci struggling to find her way inside. Good body kick for Xiaonan. Now a front kick to the midsection.
Ricci with a head kick attempt but it’s too far away. Xiaonan’s reach and distance management is proving to be a real headache for her now. Late in the round she tries to drive into a takedown, but comes up empty-handed.
Round Two:
Xiaonan with jabs to the body. Inside leg kick from Ricci. Inside leg kick for Xiaonan as well now.
Good straight right for Xiaonan might have hurt Ricci. Xiaonan looks to capitalize on that and Ricci counters with a takedown and lands it. Big moment for her, but then Xiaonan quickly gets back to her feet, although Ricci does land a strike on the way up.
Straight right again connects for Xiaonan. She slides away from a punch from Ricci and then retaliates with a nice combination.
Xiaonan into range again to land a punch and then back out safely. Another clean punch gets through.
Solid body kick for Xiaonan after missing a power punch. Bit of a lull and then another right hand for Xiaonan. Calf kick for Ricci.
Jab for Xiaonan and her own mouthpiece falls out after that, leading to a timeout while it’s put back in.
Xiaonan lands crisply again. Ricci drives into a late takedown attempt but has to settle for clinching against the cage.
Round Three:
Left hook for Xiaonan. She moves out of a blitz from Ricci. Body punch for Xiaonan. Now a right hand. Glancing kick to the body.
Good straight right for Xiaonan. Ricci misses a head kick. She’s really not got into this fight at all and doesn’t seem to have a ‘plan B’.
Ricci tries to clinch but nothing doing. She tries a superman punch and comes up short then gets tagged by a counter.
Another head kick from Ricci that was well short. Punches from Xiaonan. Another one-two for her. Back to the body punches. Body kick. Xiaonan unleashes a flurry but didn’t find the mark with that.
Ricci dives into a takedown and it’s instantly repelled by Xiaonan. Body punch for Xiaonan and then lands it again. Lengthy left hand gets through. Ricci throws punches that also come up short.
Final 10 seconds and Xiaonan lands straight punches. Now a side kick to the face. Ricci backs off and Xiaonan points to the center of the Octagon, but there’s not enough time left.
Decision:
Xiaonan bossed this fight with her striking from range then, with the smaller Ricci never figuring out a way to successfully close the distance and land anything meaningful of her own or get the fight to the mat. Xiaonan wins by unanimous decision (30-27 x3).
