A potential title eliminator in the strawweight division between Carla Esparza and Yan Xiaonan is on tap for May.
Former UFC champ Esparza (17-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) will take on Xiaonan (13-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on May 22, MMA Junkie confirmed from multiple sources close to the situation following an initial report from MMA DNA. The people requested anonymity because UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
The May 22 event does not have a location or venue, and broadcast plans have not been revealed.
Esparza, who won the UFC’s inaugural 115-pound title in December 2014, is currently riding a four-fight winning streak. She’s No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings, having put together wins over Marina Rodriguez, Michelle Waterson, Alexa Grasso and Virna Jandiroba.
No. 6-ranked Xiaonan, meanwhile, is unbeaten over her past 12 fights dating back to September 2010. The Chinese fighter is perfect through six octagon appearances, with her past two victories over former title challengers Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz being her most notable to date.
With the addition, the lineup for UFC Fight Night on May 22 includes:
- David Dvorak vs. Raulian Paiva
- Felicia Spencer vs. Danyelle Wolf
- Denys Bondar vs. Victor Rodriguez
- Carla Esparza vs. Yan Xiaonan
