5 things to watch out for at UFC Fight Night: Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

This weekend sees the UFC head to Macau, China, for a Fight Night event. The last event of November, it looks like a good one on paper.

UFC Fight Night: Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo features a number of key bouts across various divisions, so what should fans look out for? As always, there are a number of threads to follow coming into this one, and the events could be vital for what happens in 2025.

Here are five things to watch out for at UFC Fight Night: Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo.

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#5. Will Yan Xiaonan bounce back from her failed title challenge?

When a fighter loses their first title opportunity in the UFC, it's always hard to know how they'll rebound. While some fighters manage to stay near the top of the ladder, even earning another title shot, plenty of others slip right down the rankings quickly.

The big question around this weekend's co-headliner, then, is how Yan Xiaonan will respond after her loss to strawweight champ Weili Zhang.

'Fury' came into that bout with a lot of momentum after knocking out Jessica Andrade, but was thoroughly outclassed by Zhang, particularly on the ground.

Essentially, the fight provided Yan with a powerful lesson that she needs to improve a lot to reach the very top.

So can she rebound this weekend when she faces Tabatha Ricci? It's an intriguing bout primarily because 'Baby Shark' relies on her grappling to win her fights, which could let her look to capitalize on Yan's apparent Achilles heel.

If Yan can prove that she's improved on the ground and dispatch Ricci, there's nothing to stop her getting back into the title picture. If she fails to do so, it could be all downhill for her from here.

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#4. Wang Cong could follow in the footsteps of Alex Pereira with a big win

Fighters with an extensive kickboxing background have been joining the UFC for years now. However, since the arrival of current light-heavyweight champ Alex Pereira in 2021, these fighters seem to be in the spotlight more than ever.

Of course, there's only one 'Poatan', and to date, the likes of Jhonata Diniz and Cesar Almeida haven't come close to hitting similar heights.

However, there's definitely the chance that flyweight prospect Wang Cong could buck that trend.

Like Pereira, Cong comes from a high-level kickboxing background. And just like 'Poatan' came into the UFC holding a win over Israel Adesanya, 'The Joker' holds a win over current flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko in the kickboxing ring.

Cong made good on her UFC debut in August, scoring a highlight reel knockout of Victoria Leonardo.

This weekend will see her fight another largely unheralded opponent in Gabriella Fernandes, but if she can pick up another flashy win, it wouldn't be a surprise to see her pushed up the ladder quickly.

Sure, the likes of Maycee Barber, Manon Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield are ahead of her in the queue right now, but to see her jump them to a fight with 'The Bullet' in 2025 wouldn't be shocking.

Of course, for that to happen, she needs to win big this weekend - making her bout one to keep a very close eye on.

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#3. Carlos Ulberg will hope for a big win to move into UFC title contention

The UFC's light-heavyweight division is in an interesting spot right now. Current champ Alex Pereira has beaten so many challengers in such quick fashion that it now feels like anyone could suddenly break through into contention.

Sure, it looks like Magomed Ankalaev is almost definitely next, but if 'Poatan' gets past him, the next shot could be anyone's.

That's why Carlos Ulberg's fight with Volkan Oezdemir this weekend could be so crucial.

'Black Jag' is riding one of the best winning streaks in the division, as he's won his last six bouts, finishing five of them. His last fight, in fact, saw him need just 12 seconds to dispatch Alonzo Menifield.

Oezdemir is, of course, a different level entirely. 'No Time' is probably the 205-pound division's toughest gatekeeper.

A win for Ulberg over the Swiss fighter, though, could fast-track him to a meeting with Pereira, particularly when the former's links to Israel Adesanya are considered.

Therefore, outside of the headline fighters, 'Black Jag' is probably the man to watch most closely this weekend.

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#2. Can Deiveson Figueiredo find a way to hurt Petr Yan in the headliner?

This weekend's headliner is a seriously intriguing bantamweight clash between former champ Petr Yan and former flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo.

While there's a lot on the line for both men, it's arguable that the bigger opportunity here belongs to Figuereido.

'Deus da Guerra' has won three bouts in a row since moving up to 135 pounds, proving that the move was the right thing for him after he began to struggle to hit the flyweight limit.

A win here could well net him a title shot in 2025, particularly as his style could make him an interesting test for current UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili.

He'll need to get past Yan first, though, and the big question here is whether he can actually hurt 'No Mercy'.

Yan's Achilles heel at this stage is clearly on the ground, but for Figueiredo to get him there might be difficult.

However, on the feet, the Brazilian can crack like few others, as he became the first fighter to ever drop the ultra-tough Marlon Vera earlier this year.

Yan, though, might well be just as tough as the Ecuadorian. He rarely, if ever, gets hurt or stunned on the feet, and has only been dropped once in the UFC, by John Dodson in 2019.

If Figueiredo proves to have the power to hurt him standing, though, it could be the key for 'Deus da Guerra' to find a victory.

We should find out early in the fight how effective the Brazilian's power will be, and this might be the most intriguing question around this fight overall.

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#1. Has Petr Yan really got his mojo back?

While it's arguable that he isn't as close to a UFC bantamweight title shot as Deiveson Figueiredo, the biggest question that might be answered this weekend centers around Petr Yan.

The former 135-pound champ, who takes on Figueiredo in the headline bout of the event, was expected to dominate the division when he claimed the vacant title in 2020.

However, things didn't go to plan for the Russian. Not only did he lose his crown to Aljamain Sterling in 2021, but he failed to reclaim it in a rematch and then suffered losses to both Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.

'No Mercy' took a year off following those defeats, and returned this March to beat Song Yadong.

The showing was definitely a positive one for Yan, as he clearly outpointed a dangerous foe. However, he didn't look quite like the same fighter who terrorized the likes of Jose Aldo and Cory Sandhagen a few years ago.

Whether that version of Yan will return this weekend, then, is a major question. It could well be that the Song fight has given the Russian his mojo back, but it could also prove to be a false start as such, as he faces a trickier opponent this weekend.

If 'No Mercy' really is back to his best, then the rest of the bantamweight division could be in trouble. We simply won't know, though, until fight time.