This is a very hard fight to predict. Yan is getting older and does have some defensive grappling holes where Gomes can be hittable and only has a 34% takedown accuracy. My gut told me that Gomes would win here because of youth and pressure but then I rewatched the Elise Reed fight and saw that while she likes to give pressure, she can't take it. She hated backing up and Yan is a forward pressure striker. We may also get some homer judging here which could impact the scorecards. I am going to pick Gomes though. I feel like they are in different stages of their careers and I think Denise can get a few takedowns. only bet here that would make any sense though is over 2.5.

Xiaonan Yan

Yan Xiaonan is a very good boxer with well timed strikes. She has very clean technique but does not shy away from a dirty fight and is willing to bang. Outside of her 4 UFC losses, which were to two former champions, two top 5 fighters, she has had a solid run in the UFC. We have seen She showcase her power, we have seen the technical striking and we have seen the grappling improvements. She is coming off the decision loss to Virna Jandiroba where she gave up 10 minutes of control.

Denise Gomes

Denise Gomes is a striker who can grapple as well. She can be hittable but is incredibly tough and never out of a fight. She will continue to come forward, bite down and bomb away. It takes her a few minutes to get going, but once she is dialed in, she picks up the pace and has no problem taking one to give one. She works in kicks well and can be dangerous on the ground. She is coming off the decision win over Tecei Pennington where she had 3 takedowns and threw the harder strikes.