MMA Preview – Yan Xiaonan vs Carla Esparza at UFC Vegas 27
YAN XIAONAN VS CARLA ESPARZA FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 27? Sunday 23rd May, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 27? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 27? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 27 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 27? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
YAN XIAONAN VS CARLA ESPARZA LOWDOWN
Yan Xiaonan (13-1(1)) has quietly risen up the strawweight ranks and another win will put her right into the title picture. She is unbeaten in her last 12 and has had six UFC fights winning all of them via unanimous decision. She has seen off Kailin Curran (2017), Viviane Pereira (2018), Syuri Kondo (2018), Angela Hill (2019), Karolina Kowalkiewicz (2020) and most impressively Claudia Gadelha in November last year.
Carla Esparza (17-6) has been lingering around the title picture since she became the first UFC strawweight champion back in 2014. She is 8-4 in the UFC and after dropping two on the bounce to Claudia Gadelha (split decision) and Tatiana Suarez (TKO) she has strung four wins together to get back in the frame. She scraped past Virna Jandiroba, Alexa Grasso, Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez in decisions but was very lucky to win all of those.
YAN XIAONAN VS CARLA ESPARZA PREDICTION
Esparza just has a knack of winning close fights. She is an average striker, but a quality wrestler and has managed to sway several judges into awarding her with 10 decision and there will be no surprise that she will try and win another decision with her wrestling here.
Xiaonan has a clear striking advantage and If the fight stays on the feet, she will piece Esparza up at will but very few women can defend Esparza’s takedowns. Worryingly for Xiaonan, she does not have the best takedown defence.
Grasso, Waterson and Rodriguez are all great strikers too and there is a case for all three winning a decision, but the judges clearly favour Esparza’s style of simply maintaining top control and it will be a matter of time before Esparza lands a takedown. We expect Xiaonan to put up a good fight and hurt Ezparza when she can but we can also see another controversial decision.
Prediction: Esparza via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
