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Tag: UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo

  • Michael Bisping Reflects On Doing A Post-Fight Interview Right After ‘The Worst Knockout’ He’s Ever Seen

    Michael Bisping Reflects On Doing A Post-Fight Interview Right After ‘The Worst Knockout’ He’s Ever Seen

    This past weekend’s UFC Fight Night event in Macau might just have been 2024’s surprise card of the year following some incredible performances and highlight reel knockouts. Though Muslim Salikhov certainly gave it a run for its money later on in the night, a prelim fight went viral following a devastating head kick finish.

    Shi Ming was seemingly down two rounds on the scorecards in her strawweight Road to UFC final match-up against Feng Xiaocan. In the third round, she delivered the kick that ended the fight in an instant, knocking her opponent out cold which you very rarely see in this weight class.

    The incredible joy from Ming following her remarkable accomplishment and comeback was set alongside a scary moment that developed in the immediate aftermath as Xiaocan remained motionless on the canvas. She was eventually stretchered out of the Octagon and throughout the remainder of the card, UFC commentator John Gooden provided promising health updates regarding her status which put fans at ease.

    UFC hall of famer Michael Bisping was on post-fight interview duty in Macau meaning that whilst Feng was still being attended to, he needed to enter the Octagon and prepare to interview the victor. During a recent episode of his Believe You Me Podcast alongside fellow commentator Paul Felder, he spoke about this unnerving experience.

    “The legs are frozen in the air and you know what it’s like Paul, when you walk into the Octagon to interview the winner and the person that’s been knocked out is still on the ground, well this went on for about 20 minutes and they must have been filling and all kinds of stuff. I’m in there and I’m talking to security and the doctors are panicking and they’re like shouting and screaming because they don’t have too many UFC events there and this was the worst knockout I’ve ever seen. She was totally unresponsive and then they bring the stretcher in, she was still unconscious, they had to carry her away and stuff. Dude, it was one of those. I was really starting to worry.”

    Felder responded, using his own experiences to relate to Bisping despite the fact that he wasn’t part of the broadcast team this past weekend.       

    “We know that there’s high risk when you go in there but man, when you see somebody down like that and they just don’t start moving, it’s like oh my god, I don’t want to be here for this. It’s not good for business right. I mean, knockouts are great but we want everyone to get up and move on and be okay afterwards.”

  • Carlos Ulberg Targets Former Title Challenger After UFC Macau Win

    Carlos Ulberg Targets Former Title Challenger After UFC Macau Win

    Following his latest triumph, UFC light heavyweight Carlos Ulberg is looking to take the next step toward the title.

    Ulberg kept his ball rolling in the 205-pound division at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Macau, China, where he got the better of a former title challenger and longtime top-10 contender in Volkan Oezdemir.

    The City Kickboxing standout put in the kind of polished and technical display that he’s become synonymous with since falling on the wrong side of a wild brawl with Kennedy Nzechukwu back in 2021.

    That marked Ulberg’s last loss, with the New Zealander winning all seven of his fights since. And having likely strengthened his position close to title contention with his performance at the Galaxy Arena, “Black Jag” has a plan to earn a first shot.

    “Obviously Khalil had that opportunity last time, so I think for the next step, my next step would be up against a guy like Khalil Rountree,” Ulberg told the UFC’s Maddyn Johnstone-Thomas.

    Rountree had a surprise opportunity to achieve champ status last month in Salt Lake City, where he challenged Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 307.

    “The War Horse” put in a valiant effort opposite the former middleweight and reigning light heavyweight kingpin, winning the first two rounds before falling victim to a comeback and the famed power shots of “Poatan” in the fourth stanza.

    Having gotten past the #8-ranked Oezdemir, Ulberg wants a crack at the #6 man in the division next year as he looks to become the latest title challenger to emerge from Auckland’s City Kickboxing camp.

  • Petr Yan On Getting Knocked Down By Deiveson Figueiredo: ‘I Got Lost For A Second’

    Petr Yan On Getting Knocked Down By Deiveson Figueiredo: ‘I Got Lost For A Second’

    Petr Yan may have swept the scorecards at this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Macau, but his victory over Deiveson Figueiredo wasn’t without some adversity.

    Yan — a former undisputed and interim bantamweight champion on MMA’s biggest stage — continued his winning form this year at Saturday’s event inside the Galaxy Arena, where he made it two victories from two outings in 2024.

    The Russian headlined proceedings opposite ex-flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo, whom he comfortably outpointed across five rounds of memorable action. The lopsided scorecards, however, don’t completely tell the full story.

    “Deus Da Guerra” certainly had his fair share of success, even threatening a late comeback when he knocked “No Mercy” down in round four.

    During his post-fight press conference in Macau, Yan spoke about that moment while reflecting on his latest UFC triumph, admitting that the blow briefly left him “lost” in the cage.

    “I’m very glad that I won. Figueiredo is a really tough opponent, and he showed that he’s championship caliber,” Yan said. “When he landed this knockdown with his punch, I thought, ‘It’s not New Year’s yet but the fireworks have already started.’ Maybe I got lost for a little second.

    “But I recovered pretty fast and knew what was going on. This is a tough sport, anything can happen, so you have to be ready,” Yan continued. “You can’t relax at any second, everybody can surprise you even in the last second of a fight.”

    Fortunately for Yan — who has yet to be finished in his professional career — he was able to recover from the scare and finish strong en route to a convincing decision win. And with that, the former champ has likely maintained his #3 spot on the bantamweight ladder and reinserted himself into the title picture.

    While many have pointed to Umar Nurmagomedov as the deserving first in line to challenge newly crowned king Merab Dvalishvili, the Georgian was quick to accept Yan’s post-fight callout in Macau and even pitched a date for their rematch in 2025.

  • Merab Dvalishvili Reacts To Former Opponent Petr Yan’s Win & Callout At UFC Macau

    Merab Dvalishvili Reacts To Former Opponent Petr Yan’s Win & Callout At UFC Macau

    Petr Yan made a statement at UFC Macau, defeating Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event before calling for a rematch with current UFC Bantamweight hampion Merab Dvalishvili.

    Yan won a five-round decision, sweeping the scorecards against the ex-UFC flyweight champion. He then mentioned wanting a rematch with Dvalishvili and an opportunity to regain the bantamweight gold during his post-fight interview.

    “Before my fight, Merab [said] Deiveson Figueiredo [was the] No. 1 contender who deserved title fight,” Yan said. “Merab, what do you say now when I beat [the] No. 1 contender in my division? I want to do [a] rematch with Merab. Let’s get it.”

    Dvalishvili heard Yan’s callout and responded on social media, starting with praise of the UFC Macau main event and the Russian’s performance before expressing interest in the pair facing off at UFC 313 in Las Vegas on March 8.

    Merab Dvalishvili Open To Rematch With Petr Yan, Perhaps As Soon As UFC 313

    Dvalishvili and Yan met in the main event of UFC Las Vegas in March 2023, with the Georgian standout taking a five-round unanimous decision.

    That fight marked Yan’s third straight loss and fourth defeat in five fights, stemming back to him controversially dropping the bantamweight championship via disqualification to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259.

    “No Mercy” has since won a pair of fights in 2024, defeating Song Yadong at UFC 299 before his win over Figueiredo in Macau. Yan put on a striking clinic against “Deus Da Guerra,” and he even showed control on the ground the majority of the time he grappled with Figueiredo on the mat.

    Dvalishvili, following the win over Yan, went on to defeat Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 before scoring a decision over Sean O’Malley to capture the bantamweight championship at UFC 306 (Noche UFC).

  • ‘Give Him The O’Malley Rematch’ – Fans React To Petr Yan’s Vintage Striking Performance To Beat Deiveson Figueiredo At UFC Macau

    ‘Give Him The O’Malley Rematch’ – Fans React To Petr Yan’s Vintage Striking Performance To Beat Deiveson Figueiredo At UFC Macau

    Petr Yan made a statement that he wants the UFC bantamweight championship back, making his case with a dominant decision win over Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event of UFC Macau.

    Figueiredo appeared to be on path to a strong start when he scored a takedown in the fight’s opening minute. Yan, however, survived his opponent’s thoughts of a potential early submission to control the action on the ground and get into top position. The Russian then returned the fight to the feet and outstruck the former flyweight champion from there.

    “Deus Da Guerra” managed to land some very strong shots in the second round, but Yan continued to keep busy with effective activity as the two had a close, competitive striking clinic in that five-minute span. “No Mercy,” however, took complete control of the fight in the third round, seemingly landing at will with brutal strikes and even dropping Figueiredo at one point.

    Yan continued to land at will and pressure, doing damage, but Figueiredo brought a scare when he appeared to damage Yan with a body shot in the closing seconds of the round. The Brazilian tried to pursue the ex-bantamweight kingpin and go after a late finish that he needed, but the time in the round expired.

    Petr Yan Dominantes Deiveson Figueiredo In Striking Battle That Topped UFC Macau

    Yan has now won back-to-back fights, having previously defeated Song Yadong at UFC 299 earlier this year. Prior to 2024, the Russian had been on a three-fight losing skid that began with him losing a rematch against Aljamain Sterling. The run also included a controversial decision loss against Sean O’Malley and a lopsided defeat to current bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili.

    Meanwhile, Saturday marked Figueiredo’s first loss since moving up to bantamweight. He had been 3-0 at 135 pounds after losing the UFC flyweight title for the second time. Figueiredo defeated Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon “Chito” Vera prior to the Macau event.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Petr Yan Outstrikes Deiveson Figueiredo

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Petr Yan Outstrikes Deiveson Figueiredo

    UFC Fight Night: Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo took place in the early hours of Saturday morning, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    After a pay-per-view inside the prestigious Madison Square Garden — and before focus turns to the UFC’s final numbered event of the year in Las Vegas — the MMA leader was on the road to stage a card in Macau for the first time in a decade.

    Headlining at the Galaxy Arena were two former champions in ex-bantamweight kingpin Yan and a two-time occupier of the flyweight throne in Figueiredo. With both men coming off wins over top-10 opposition, a shot at Merab Dvalishvili’s 135-pound gold was discussed as being in store for Saturday’s victor.

    That turned out to be Yan, with “No Mercy” putting in a vintage striking performance to sweep the scorecards.

    Elsewhere on the UFC Fight Night lineup, Yan Xiaonan emerged victorious from her first outing since falling short of the title against Zhang Weili earlier this year, Carlos Ulberg got the better of fellow hard-hitting light heavyweight contender Volkan Oezdemir, and the Road to UFC finals delivered some memorable moments on the prelims.

    With that said, see below for the full results, followed by all the best highlights.

    UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Bantamweight Main Event: Petr Yan def. Deiveson Figueiredo via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
    • Women’s Strawweight Co-Main Event: Yan Xiaonan def. Tabatha Ricci via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
    • Welterweight: Muslim Salikhov def. Song Kenan via KO (spinning wheel kick): R1, 3:49
    • Women’s Flyweight: Gabriella Fernandes def. Wang Cong via submission (rear-naked choke): R2, 3:49
    • Light Heavyweight: Carlos Ulberg def. Volkan Oezdemir via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
    • Light Heavyweight: Zhang Mingyang def. Ozzy Diaz via TKO (elbow & punches): R1, 2:25

    Preliminary Card:

    • Road to UFC Bantamweight Final: SuYoung You def. Jieleyisi Baergeng via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
    • Road to UFC Flyweight Final: DongHun Choi def. Kiru Singh Sahota via KO (punch): R1, 2:36
    • Road to UFC Women’s Strawweight Final: Ming Shi def. Xiaocan Feng via KO (head kick): R3, 0:46
    • Flyweight: Carlos Hernandez def. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
    • Flyweight: Lone’er Kavanagh def. Jose Ochoa via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Bantamweight: Long Xiao def. Quang Le via KO (punches): R3, 1:28
    • Lightweight: Nikolas Motta def. Hayisaer Maheshate via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

    Nikolas Motta Def. Hayisaer Maheshate

    Long Xiao Def. Quang Le

    Lone’er Kavanagh Def. Jose Ochoa

    Carlos Hernandez Def. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel

    Ming Shi Def. Xiaocan Feng

    DongHun Choi Def. Kiru Singh Sahota

    Zhang Mingyang Def. Ozzy Diaz

    Carlos Ulberg Def. Volkan Oezdemir

    Gabriella Fernandes Def. Wang Cong

    https://twitter.com/oliveirafan999/status/1860298121135423761

    Muslim Salikhov Def. Song Kenan

    Yan Xiaonan Def. Tabatha Ricci

    Petr Yan Def. Deiveson Figueiredo

    https://twitter.com/FIGHTZSS/status/1860325240682815892
  • ‘Can We Just get Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan 2?’ – Fans React As Xiaonan Dominates Tabatha Ricci In UFC Macau Co-Headliner

    ‘Can We Just get Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan 2?’ – Fans React As Xiaonan Dominates Tabatha Ricci In UFC Macau Co-Headliner

    Competing in China for the first time in six years, Yan Xiaonan made the most of the experience by putting on one of her best performances in the Octagon, defeating Tabatha Ricci in the UFC Macau co-main event.

    Xiaonan was fully on the attack in the opening round, having complete control as Ricci continuously bit down on her strikes. The Brazilian seemed to find a range by the end of the first round and took it into the second, even getting a hold of her Chinese opponent’s back at one point. But that moment only came after Xiaonan managed to wobble her.

    Ricci continued to stay on the outside in that second frame, as Xiaonan appeared to overwhelm her with the speed and crispness of her strikes. “Fury” did not deter from this strategy and went on to sweep the judges’ scorecards before calling out Zhang Weili for a strawweight title rematch.

    Yan Xiaonan Cruises To Easy Decision Win Over Tabatha Ricci At UFC Macau

    https://twitter.com/5Noxa/status/1860314605349744779

    Xiaonan now returns to the win column in her first fight since unsuccessfully challenging Zhang for the UFC women’s strawweight title at UFC 300 earlier this year. She has won three of her last four.

    Meanwhile, after a four-fight win streak between late 2021 and early 2023, Ricci is 2-2 across the four fights she’s had in the last year.

  • VIDEO: 40-Year-Old Muslim Salikhov Sleeps Song Kenan With Spinning Wheel Kick At UFC Macau

    VIDEO: 40-Year-Old Muslim Salikhov Sleeps Song Kenan With Spinning Wheel Kick At UFC Macau

    If you thought UFC Macau was filled with highlights heading into the final three bouts of the card, Muslim Salikhov then went and took things to another level thanks to his first-round finish of Song Kenan.

    Salikhov delivered a brutal spinning wheel kick that landed flush on the home favorite, dropping him for the knockout win. The 40-year-old Russian made history inside the Galaxy Arena by becoming the first UFC fighter with two finishes via spinning wheel kick.

    Salikhov, a former Wushu world champion, has now won back-to-back bouts and eight of his last 11, continuing to impress despite being 40.

    Song, meanwhile, has now lost four of his last six.

  • VIDEO: Zhang Mingyang Sends Home Crowd Wild With Career’s 18th First-Round Finish At UFC Macau

    VIDEO: Zhang Mingyang Sends Home Crowd Wild With Career’s 18th First-Round Finish At UFC Macau

    Zhang Mingyang’s incredible run in MMA continued as he racked up yet another first-round knockout, defeating Ozzy Diaz to start off the UFC Macau main card.

    Just over two minutes into the fight, Mingyang landed a step-in elbow from distance that dropped Diaz. He then finished the fight with a series of ground-and-pound strikes.

    According to the UFC on social media, this was the first time in UFC light heavyweight history — and the 10th time in UFC history altogether — that a fight was finished due to this elbow strike.

    Zhang Mingyang Continues Long Streak Of First-Round KOs At UFC Macau

    After coming into the UFC off a win over Tuco Tokkos in 2022, Mingyang is now 2-0 in the Octagon after finishing Brendson Ribeiro earlier this year at UFC 298. The Chinese standout has incredibly won all 18 of his career wins by way of first-round finishes.

    Meanwhile, this fight marked the UFC debut for Diaz, who is a former LFA middleweight champion.

  • VIDEO: Chinese Doctor Who Hid MMA Career From Parents Wins Road To UFC With Violent Head-Kick KO

    VIDEO: Chinese Doctor Who Hid MMA Career From Parents Wins Road To UFC With Violent Head-Kick KO

    Perhaps the most notable thing about Shi Ming entering her fight at UFC Macau today was the fact that, despite working as a doctor and being a TikTok sensation, her parents and colleagues had no idea of her MMA activity.

    That may not be for much longer after she landed a jaw-dropping, brutal knockout of Feng Xiaocan to win the strawweight bracket of the Road to UFC tournament.

    Early in the third round, Ming made her impact by landing a head kick that came suddenly, dropping Xiaocan in dramatic fashion to earn the knockout victory.

    Shi Ming Wins Road To UFC Tournament With Violent Head Kick KO

    Xiaocan was unresponsive for some time, with a stretcher and neck brace required as she exited the Octagon. Xiaocan, according to the commentary team, was being transported to the hospital in the aftermath of the fight.

    Ming has now won five straight fights and 11 of her last 12. Meanwhile, this was Xiaocan’s first loss since dropping her third and fourth professional bouts, winning eight consecutive outings prior to tonight.

    The UFC Fight Night at Macau’s Galaxy Arena is set to be headlined by a crucial bantamweight bout between former champion Petr Yan and ex-flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo.

  • UFC Fight Night: Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

    Before heading back to Las Vegas to stage its final pay-per-view of the year at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 7, the mixed martial arts leader has Fight Night business to attend to across the world in Macau.

    The main event presents an opportunity for ex-flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo to further climb the ranks at 135 pounds. “Deus Da Guerra’s” fourth outing in the division will come against former titleholder Petr Yan, who is looking to stake his claim for a chance to regain the title off the back of a key win over Song Yadong earlier this year.

    Before that, the likes of former strawweight title challenger Yan Xiaonan, will all be in action, flyweight prospect Wang Cong, and hard-hitting light heavyweights Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg will be in action.

    UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo takes place on Saturday, November 23, at the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. The main card begins at 6 a.m. ET/3 a.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT.

    Check out the full results from the weigh-ins below!

    Main Card:

    • Bantamweight Main Event: Petr Yan (135.5lbs) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (135lbs)
    • Women’s Strawweight Co-Main Event: Yan Xiaonan (116lbs) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115.5lbs)
    • Welterweight: Song Kenan (171lbs) vs. Muslim Salikhov (170.5lbs)
    • Women’s Flyweight: Wang Cong (126lbs) vs. Gabriella Fernandes (126lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Volkan Oezdemir (206lbs) vs. Carlos Ulberg (205.5lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Zhang Mingyang (205lbs) vs. Ozzy Diaz (205lbs)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Road to UFC Bantamweight Final: SuYoung You (135.5lbs) vs. Jieleyisi Baergeng (235lbs)
    • Road to UFC Flyweight Final: Kiru Singh Sahota (126lbs) vs. DongHun Choi (125.5lbs)
    • Road to UFC Women’s Strawweight Final: Xiaocan Feng (115lbs) vs. Ming Shi (115.5lbs)
    • Flyweight: Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (125.5lbs) vs. Carlos Hernandez (125.5lbs)
    • Flyweight: Lone’er Kavanagh (126lbs) vs. Jose Ochoa (125lbs)
    • Bantamweight: Long Xiao (135lbs) vs. Le Quang (126lbs)
    • Lightweight: Maheshate Hayisaer (155.5lbs) vs. Nikolas Motta (155lbs)
  • Deiveson Figueiredo Says Petr Yan ‘Won’t Even Compare’ To Him In One Area

    Deiveson Figueiredo Says Petr Yan ‘Won’t Even Compare’ To Him In One Area

    Top five bantamweights meet for the first time in this weekend’s UFC Macau main event in what should be a fascinating clash of styles. When it comes to fighters who are always exciting to watch, former UFC champions Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo have to be on that list.

    Both men are very well-rounded competitors but it’s no secret that they prefer to keep the fight standing the majority of the time. The idea of seeing Yan’s incredible combinations going up against the one-punch power of Figueiredo is enough to get fight fans tuning in from all over the world but the former flyweight king believes that he holds a huge advantage over his next opponent in one specific area.

    Since moving up to bantamweight following the conclusion of his four fights with Brandon Moreno, Figueiredo has beaten Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera. Though he chose to grapple against Garbrandt, where he secured the submission win at UFC 300, “Deus da Guerra” is usually happy to stand and strike because of the power he possesses and the speed advantage he has at 135-pounds.

    In a recent interview with Kevin Iole, the Brazilian was asked about Yan’s lack of finishes in his recent fights. Figueiredo responded by saying, via translator Fabiano Buskei, that he respects the striking of “No Mercy” and is looking forward to testing him there even though, in his opinion, he is levels above him in the grappling.

    “I did see the flaws and he poses a threat there on the kickboxing side but I mean, I won’t even compare his grappling to mine because I just think I’m so much better. I mean I’m a threat at grappling, he does not want to grapple with me. He’d get taken down and finished in that but I want to use my punching power and I want to knock him out in this fight.”    

  • VIDEO: Petr Yan & Deiveson Figueiredo Have First Faceoff Ahead Of UFC Macau Main Event

    VIDEO: Petr Yan & Deiveson Figueiredo Have First Faceoff Ahead Of UFC Macau Main Event

    Top bantamweights Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo stood toe to toe just days out from their UFC Macau headliner.

    After staging its latest pay-per-view event inside the prestigious surroundings of Madison Square Garden this past weekend, the mixed martial arts leader is on the road for a return to the “Las Vegas of the East.”

    The Octagon is back in Macau — an autonomous region on the south coast of China — for the first time in a decade, with the Galaxy Arena playing host to a UFC Fight Night card on Nov. 23.

    The lineup will be topped by a key clash at 135 pounds, as ex-champion Yan looks to stall the two-division ambitions of former two-time flyweight kingpin Figueiredo.

    Ahead of the #3 and #5-ranked bantamweights colliding, the pair had their first faceoff on Tuesday after touching down for UFC Macau.

    Figueiredo has won all three of his fights since moving up from flyweight, most recently following wins over Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt with a convincing triumph over former title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera.

    Yan, meanwhile, snapped his three-fight losing skid this year by getting the better of Song Yadong at UFC 299 in Miami this past March. The result marked his first taste of victory since interim title glory over Cory Sandhagen back in 2021.

    Elsewhere on Saturday’s UFC Macau lineup, Yan Xiaonan returns for the first time since her failed title bid to defend her ranking against Tabatha Ricci, while top-10 light heavyweight contender Volkan Oezdemir faces a fellow hard hitter in Carlos Ulberg.