A key women’s strawweight matchup has been added to UFC 272.
Top contenders Marina Rodriguez and Yan Xiaonan have been booked to fight on the March 5 pay-per-view at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with an additional person with knowledge of the matchup following an initial announcement from Xiaonan’s management, Paradigm Sports.
Rodriguez (15-1-2 MMA, 5-1-2 UFC) is coming off a big win in her second UFC main event spot. The Brazilian beat Mackenzie Dern with a unanimous decision to extend her winning streak to three. Rodriguez’s only career loss came against former UFC champion Carla Esparza in July 2020.
China’s Xiaonan (13-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is coming off her first defeat in the UFC. She was was stopped by TKO by Esparza in May. Prior to that, she was on a 12-fight unbeaten run that included six UFC wins over notable names like former title challengers Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
With the addition, the latest UFC 272 lineup now includes:
Edson Barboza vs. Bryce Mitchell
Jessica Eye vs. Manon Fiorot
Mariya Agapova vs. Maryna Moroz
Dustin Jacoby vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Tim Elliott vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
Marina Rodriguez vs. Yan Xiaonan
