UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo continues to heat up with this next Main Card fight between two ranked assassins in the Women’s Strawweight (115 lb) Division. Brazil’s No. 4 Jessica Andrade will square off against China’s No. 6 Yan Xiaonan. The winner of this fight will be nearing title contention so the stakes are higher than ever! Check out our UFC odds series for our Andrade-Xiaonan prediction and pick.
Jessica Andrade is 24-10 overall in her career and is 15-8 inside the UFC. She’s currently ranked No. 4 at Strawweight and is 3-2 in her last five fights heading into this one. After a three fight win streak, Andrade met her match when she was topped by Erin Blanchfield during their headlining fight. Andrade looked nothing like her recent self and will be hoping to get back on track with a win over a closely ranked opponent. Andrade stands 5’1″ and has a 62-inch reach.
Yan Xiaonan is 16-3 as a professional fighter and has gone an impressive 7-2 in the UFC. Xiaonan opened her stint up at 6-0 and faced some of the tougher strawweights in the division. She suffered back-to-back losses to Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez which derailed her title hopes, but she bounced back with a majority decision win over Mackenzie Dern in her last fight. She’ll have a ton of confidence heading into this one and hopes to overtake Andrade in the rankings. Xiaonan stands 5’5″ with a 63-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 288 Odds: Jessica Andrade-Yan Xiaonan Odds
Jessica Andrade: -200
Yan Xiaonan: +154
Over (2.5) rounds: -172
Under (2.5) rounds: +134
How to Watch Jessica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN App
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
Why Jessica Andrade Will Win
Jessica Andrade is one of the few females in MMA with one-punch knockout ability. She is very aggressive from the opening bell and blitzes opponents once she begins to land. From there, she lands with heavy hands and does a lot of damage in the clinch. She’s always eager to welcome a fight to the ground with her seasoned and dangerous jiu-jitsu game. She can finish the fight from just about anywhere and has the cardio to go all five rounds. She’s been in this spot before and should have the confidence knowing she’ll be Xiaonan’s biggest test thus far.
Jessica Andrade will have the massive grappling advantage in this fight, but she may have to work hard to get her takedowns. Xiaonan will be the taller fighter here and may have the leverage in stopping the takedowns. Andrade should look to be unpredictable in the looks she gives and attack with a mix of grappling and striking. She should look to work the submissions on the ground as Xiaonan doesn’t feel too comfortable there. Andrade will also have power on her side so don’t be surprised if she finishes this fight with her hands.
Why Yan Xiaonan Will Win
Yan Xiaonan bases her game off of her karate and muay thai style striking. She explodes into her punches and throws her 1-2 in rapid pace. In her last few fights, she’s been cautious in her defense and doesn’t mind waiting for the counters. She very active in the octagon and will keep distance from her opponent by utilizing the front kick to the knee. If she sees an opening, Xiaonan can attack with her legs and find the KO, which she’s done six times in her career.
Xiaonan will have the speed and length here, but she’ll have to be aware of the power in Andrade during the exchanges. While she has a good chin, not many women can take clean shots from Andrade for long, so Xiaonan will have to be careful in protecting herself. If she can keep this fight standing and control the striking distance, she should have enough in her cardio and output to come away with the win as the moderate underdog.
Final Jessica Andrade-Yan Xiaonan Prediction & Pick
If these two women come out swinging with reckless abandon, it’d be hard not to side with the power of Jessica Andrade. Her advantage on the ground could also be a big difference, but Xiaonan has shown a good capability of staying on her feet. If she can keep distance like she did in her fight against Dern, Xiaonan will see a lot of success in her striking. Jessica Andrade is also coming in off a loss not too long ago, so this return seems a little rushed for her. For the prediction, let’s go with the underdog in Yan Xiaonan to get the win as she shines behind her technical striking.
Final Jessica Andrade-Yan Xiaonan Prediction & Pick: Yan Xiaonan (+154)
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