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#2 UFC strawweight division: Yan Xiaonan vs. Carla Esparza

Can Carla Esparza earn a shot at the UFC strawweight title she once held?

With Rose Namajunas now the new UFC strawweight champion, theoretically, at least, Joanna Jedrzejczyk should be out of contention as she’s lost to Thug Rose twice in the past.

That means that this fight – between the #3 and #4 ranked fighters in the division – could well act as a de facto top contender’s fight.

So who will get through to face the champ? The grappler Esparza, a former UFC champion who already has a win over Namajunas? Or Xiaonan, a striker with an undefeated 6-0 UFC record?

It’s definitely an intriguing fight.

Of the two women, we know far more about Esparza than Xiaonan. The Cookie Monster is an excellent wrestler and a tremendous submission artist. Esparza has also greatly improved her striking over the years after looking amateurish in her early UFC days.

Since dropping the UFC strawweight title to Jedrzejczyk in 2015, Esparza has largely flown under the radar. But in reality, her record is pretty impressive.

Esparza picked up seven wins and three losses. But two of those losses – to Randa Markos and Claudia Gadelha – were hugely controversial decisions. Only the monstrous wrestler Tatiana Suarez has really beaten her in violent fashion.

Xiaonan, meanwhile, has beaten everyone the UFC’s thrown at her. However, it is worth noting that she’s never faced a grappler of Esparza’s caliber before. Xiaonan did defeat Gadelha in her most recent fight, but then Claudinha has never had the best takedowns in the division.

The issue for Esparza here is how she gets inside a fighter who is 4” taller than her and has a sizeable reach advantage.

If Xiaonan can keep Esparza at bay with her strikes, then she’s very likely to win, probably by decision.

However, Esparza is a wily veteran who knows how to win fights. And she’s gotten inside on taller strikers before, beating the likes of Marina Rodriguez and Maryna Moroz with her takedowns.

Overall, Xiaonan can definitely win this fight. But the smart money is probably on Esparza grinding out a decision win, setting up an unlikely rematch of the UFC’s inaugural strawweight title clash.

The Pick: Esparza via unanimous decision