The strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to take center stage at UFC 288 as two of the best in Jessica Andrade and Yan Xiaonan compete for a shot at current champion, Weili Zhang.
Both fighters bring with them unique skills to their respective fight styles that will be sure to make their bout one to watch. Brazilian fighter, Jessica Andrade, has been on an impressive run since her debut in 2013 making her way up the 115-pound rankings. She holds wins over top contenders such as Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and even Zhang herself before she was crowned champion. Andrade’s aggressive approach towards entering exchanges makes it difficult for opponents to avoid her powerful strikes which often result in early stoppages or quick finishes due to sheer ground and pound pressure.
Andrade’s opponent this weekend will be Chinese native Xiaonan who brings with her some strong striking fundamentals coupled with sound grappling defense when facing takedown attempts from opponents. This could very well prove problematic for Jessica if she cannot close distance quickly enough where she can use her strength advantage against Yan as both fighters have similar reach advantages along with comparable physical attributes judging by size alone. Additionally, Xiaonan’s well-rounded skill set also includes a “lay and pray” style that could frustrate powerful grapplers like Andrade while not taking too many risks herself allowing counters whenever openings present themselves during exchanges between the two competitors during rounds throughout this potential 25 minutes affair should it go the distance.
With all things considered, I believe Jessica will edge out this win due primarily to her superior experience compared to Yan whose fights have mostly been against lower tier opposition compared to what “Bate Estaca” has faced throughout most of career along with being more well-rounded than Xiaonan when exchanging combinations inside cage putting far less emphasis on cardio over power strikes that are likely going dictate outcomes of these specific scenarios during fight night in Fort Lauderdale come Saturday night so expect decision victory here unless either opponent makes mistake leading into finish whether standing or grounded then anything can happen but my pick remains as stated prior original answer: Jessica Andrade via Unanimous Decision after three full five minute rounds against challenger Yan Xiaonan next weekend at UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo event in Florida United States America!
