Xiaonan Yan Concedes Weili Zhang Still Fan Favorite in China

Xiaonan Yan admits that her upcoming opponent and compatriot, Weili Zhang, continues to garner more support in their home country of China.

Yan (18-3) will challenge Zhang (24-3|) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight championship in the co-main event at UFC 300 on April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While Zhang made her UFC debut almost a year after Yan in 2018, “Magnum” went on to win the title within a year. Zhang also delivered some of the most memorable title fights of all time, sealing her place in women’s mixed martial arts history.

While China has seen its fair share of UFC stars over the years, including the likes of Jingliang Li and Yadong Song, Zhang likely remains the torchbearer in the country. Earlier, Yan had stated that she expects more haters than fans in her homeland as Zhang continues to dominate the Chinese fanbase.

“Nothing has really changed; still more people support Weili,” Yan said at UFC 300 media day. “But I have my family, I have my team, all the people, my people will support me, to me that’s enough.”

However, while Yan admits that while winning certainly holds considerable significance, capturing gold remains her prime goal. “Yeah, both China vs. China and getting the UFC title are important to me,” said Yan. “But if you let me choose which one is more important – get the title.”

“Fury” is coming off consecutive wins topped off by a first-round knockout over Jessica Andrade at UFC 288 in May 2023. Meanwhile, Zhang is riding a three-fight winning streak and is coming off a dominant title defense against Amanda Lemos, where she set the record for the biggest striking differential in a female UFC bout.