The UFC headed east to Macau for UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo on Saturday, where a host of fighters produced eye-catching performances at the Galaxy Arena.
Here, we take a look at the main card’s big winners and order them in terms of the impact and importance of their respective performances in our post-fight power rankings.
UFC Macau power rankings
1. Zhang Mingyang
Nobody’s stock on fight night rose higher the man who kicked off the main card. Tasked with opening up the featured portion of the event, Zhang Mingyang took full advantage of his main card billing as he registered his second UFC win with yet another first-round finish. And boy did he look good.
A perfectly-timed step-in elbow connected flush on Ozzy Diaz as he dropped the American, then finished him with vicious ground and pound strikes as he sent the Macau crowd into raptures with a huge first-round finish.
It took his incredible record to 18 wins, six losses, with all 18 of his wins coming via first-round finish. It was his 12th career knockout but, with six submission finishes also to his name, the “Mountain Tiger” looks a real danger to the light heavyweight division.
The UFC matchmakers must be grinning from ear to ear as they consider how to book the 26-year-old finisher for 2025. Whenever he returns to the Octagon, it will be must-see TV. The UFC has been looking for another male Chinese fighter to follow in the footsteps of Li Jingliang and Song Yadong. In Zhang Mingyang, it looks like they’ve found one.
2. Petr Yan
The former undisputed bantamweight champion of the world knew he needed a big performance to reestablish himself as a legitimate threat to reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili, and the Russian did just that as he looked a class above the also-excellent Deiveson Figueiredo on Saturday.
Yan looked back to his best as he edged the former two-time flyweight champion in the main event in Macau, and he set his sights on Dvalishvili immediately after his victory as he called out the Georgian world champion.
Dvalishvili’s likely next test will be against Umar Nurmagomedov, but if the UFC opts to change tack, Yan is ready, willing and able to challenge for the gold again. And if he can put on the sort of performance we saw in Macau, Dvalishvili is going to have his hands full.
3. Yan Xiaonan
No fighter would have felt more pressure on Saturday than Yan Xiaonan. The Chinese strawweight contender lost out in her title tilt against compatriot Zhang Weili at UFC 300, and had the additional burden of having to bounce back in front of her home fans. Defeat to in-form contender Tabatha Ricci was simply unthinkable.
But Yan rose to the occasion with a superb performance as she dominated Ricci through all three rounds to claim a shutout decision victory and ensure she stays at the very sharp end of the UFC’s 115-pound rankings.
Her victory ensured the home fans went home happy, and she put the cherry on the cake by issuing a great callout of her old rival Zhang, who was in the crowd at Galaxy Arena.
A rematch between the pair could be a distinct possibility in 2024, but the UFC might look to put Yan in a title eliminator in the first half of the year first, with a view to possibly featuring Zhang during International Fight Week.
4. Muslim Salikhov
Fighters’ nicknames can sometimes appear a bit contrived. But in the case of Muslim Salikhov, “The King of Kung Fu” seems very appropriate indeed.
The Russian striker has always had a penchant for the spectacular, but the 40-year-old veteran’s finish of Song Kenan on the main card of UFC Macau must surely rank among his very best.
A stunning spinning wheel kick connected perfectly to the jaw of Song as Salikhov scored the finish of the night with style points and immediately put himself in the final contenders’ list for Knockout of the Year honors.
For a man whose decorated combat sports career includes a Wushu Sanda world title captured in China, it was a sweet moment indeed as he showcased his spectacular striking in a part of the world that has seen many of his best career performances.
It was a finish worthy of a UFC main card, and certainly one that justifies his lofty, but wholly appropriate, fighting moniker.
MORE: Muslim Salikhov becomes first to land two spinning wheel kick KOs in UFC history
5. Gabriella Fernandes
On another night, Gabriella Fernandes would be higher up this list, but at an event that delivered so many big performances and important wins, we have her listed at number five. But, from a purely personal point of view, there may not have been a bigger, more emotional win on the entire fight card.
Fernandes was disregarded and written off heading into fight night. Her opponent, China’s Wang Cong, was earmarked as a Chinese star of the future, and “The Joker” certainly played up to her pre-fight billing with some eye-catching pre-fight quotes, as well as her now familiar Joker facepaint at the faceoffs.
But, despite being a +625 underdog heading into the bout, Fernandes stayed composed as she established her own rhythm, then struck to score a huge upset victory.
After a tough opening round, Fernandes stung Cong with a huge left hand that dropped the Chinese fan-favorite, then choked her unconscious with a rear-naked choke.
The finishing sequence all played out as an excited Laura Sanko, who had slammed the -1050 odds on Wang before the fight started, declared, “THIS IS MMA!” It showed that, whatever the odds, there are so many ways to win, and lose, a fight.
For Fernandes, who had endured tragic personal losses in the weeks leading up to fight night, it was a hugely emotional victory as the former interim LFA flyweight champion claimed the 10th win of her career and evened up her UFC record at 2-2.
MORE: Biggest underdog on UFC Macau card finishes former top kickboxer
6. Carlos Ulberg
He may not have secured the stoppage win he’d have been hoping for heading into his bout, but Carlos Ulberg’s victory over Volkan Oezdemir was more than enough to show that he’s ready for another step up in competition in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
Ulberg and Oezdemir battled back and forth through the full 15-minute duration in a bout that played out exclusively on the feet. And while “No Time” has a string of knockouts to his name, Ulberg was too fast, too slick, and too mobile for the Swiss former title challenger as he ran out the unanimous decision victor.
That win should nudge Ulbert a couple of spots up the 205-pound rankings, and he’ll have his sights set on top-five opposition in 2025 as he looks to position himself for a title shot by the end of next year.
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