Turning up for an early morning fight card, the UFC travels to China to put on an exciting show in Macau. Headlining the event are two former champions from separate weight classes, as previous flyweight wrecking ball Deiveson Figueiredo locks horns with Russian boxing specialist Petr Yan.
Since moving up to 135 lbs. last December, Figueiredo has rattled off three straight wins over some of the division’s finest Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera. With a win in the main event over Yan, “Deus Da Guerra” hopes to slot himself into a prime position to challenge for the title sometime next year.
For the struggling Yan, a victory in the Middle Kingdom is a must after going 1-3 in past four fights. Although those losses came at the hands of either former or current champions in Aljamain Sterling, Sean O’Malley, and Merab Dvalishvili. Having once sat upon the throne in the bantamweight class, Yan is no stranger to fighting high-pressure fights, and his bout with Figueiredo will likely be the most high pressure he has faced in sometime.
In the co-main event, Yan Xiaonan returns to action after suffering a hard fought unanimous decision loss to strawweight champion Weili Zhang at UFC 300. She collides with Brazilian contender Tabatha Ricci, who is seeking to extend her win streak in 2024 to three in a row.
Other Bouts On the Main Card
Elsewhere, light heavyweights Zhang Mingyang and Ozzy Diaz duke it out in the opening fight of the main card, followed by another pair of 205-lb. stalwarts in Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg who find themselves not far from a title shot with a win. Then, women’s flyweight action takes center stage as the undefeated Wang Cong tests her mettle against Gabriella Fernandes. Then, finally, a pair of veteran welterweights, Song Kenan and Muslim Salikhov, round out the rest of the card as they vie for their place among the top 170-lb. competitors in the world.
Staff Picks
MMASucka staff picks are composed of four of the world’s leading mixed martial arts organizations: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL) with Bellator MMA, ONE Championship (ONE FC), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS).
- UFC picks will include main card fights ranging from four to six matchups per event.
- PFL and Bellator MMA see picks from main cards for pay-per-views and from tournament fights in the Regular Season, Playoffs, and Finals.
- ONE FC and DWCS picks will feature all MMA fights from the event with a minimum of three matchups.
The individual who picks the most victorious fighters by the end of 2024 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a detailed chain from Championship Chains. Staff picks in 2023 were won by Ben Jamieson with a record of 300-148.
Find our UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo picks and fight odds below.
Zhang Mingyang -258
vs.
Ozzy Diaz +210
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION
Hank Strandberg: Mingyang via Unanimous Decision
Jeremy Brand: Mingyang via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Mingyang: 1
Staff picking Diaz:
Volkan Oezdemir +240
vs.
Carlos Ulberg -298
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION
Hank Strandberg: Ulberg via Second Round KO/TKO
Jeremy Brand: Ulberg via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Oezdemir:
Staff picking Ulberg: 2
Wang Cong -1100
vs.
Gabriella Fernandes +700
STRAWWEIGHT DIVISION
Hank Strandberg: Cong via Unanimous Decision
Jeremy Brand: Cong via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Cong: 2
Staff picking Fernandes:
Song Kenan +180
vs.
Muslim Salikhov -218
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION
Hank Strandberg: Salikhov via Unanimous Decision
Jeremy Brand: Salikhov via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Kenan:
Staff picking Salikhov: 2
Yan Xiaonan -185
vs.
Tabatha Ricci +154
STRAWWEIGHT DIVISION
Hank Strandberg: Xiaonan via Unanimous Decision
Jeremy Brand: Xiaonan via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Xiaonan: 2
Staff picking Ricci:
Deiveson Figueiredo +230
Vs.
Petr Yan -285
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION
Hank Strandberg: Yan via Unanimous Decision
Jeremy Brand: Figueiredo via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Yan: 1
Staff picking Figueiredo: 1
