UFC Macau betting tips & fight predictions | November 23, 2024

Yan Xiaonan and Tabatha Ricci fill the co-main event slot for UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Figueiredo at the Galaxy Arena in Macau this Saturday night. The main card is stacked with local talent, and highlights include a welterweight scrap between Song Kenan and Muslim Salikhov as well as an appearance by the unbeaten Wang Cong against Gabriella Fernandes. Read on for fight previews and betting suggestions.

Petr Yan v Deiveson Figueiredo

Petr Yan vs Deiveson Figueiredo

Petr Yan will clash with Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC Macau main event this Saturday night. These top-five bantamweights will delight the Asian audience and push for a title shot against newly minted champion Merab Dvalishvili. See our Yan vs Figueiredo main event preview here.

Yan Xiaonan v Tabatha Ricci

Yan Xiaonan vs Tabatha Ricci

Xiaonan Yan (18-4-0) is coming off a competitive five-round loss to reigning women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili and is expected to bounce back here. The 35-year-old is a powerful and effective striker, as demonstrated by her knockout win over the tough Jessica Andrade in 2023. The Chinese fighter will enjoy strong support and is a hot favourite to emerge with a win over a lower-ranked opponent.
 
Tabatha Ricci (11-2-0) brings strong form into this contest, with six wins and one loss from her last seven UFC appearances. The 29-year-old does not possess huge knockout power, with just one professional win coming via that method. She is a volume striker who accumulates points and is comfortable wrestling and grappling against the cage. Ricci will need to survive an early onslaught and outlast her opponent to score the upset.

Song Kenan v Muslim Salikhov

Song Kenan vs Muslim Salikhov

Song Kenan (21-8-0) has proved hard to predict in recent years, with three wins and three losses since 2020. The 34-year-old still has plenty to give and looks like a realistic upset chance on this main card. If he doesn’t leave too many defensive openings, the underdog can give a good account of himself and grab the spoils in front of a partisan crowd.

Muslim Salikhov (20-5-0) has also struggled for consistency, with two wins and three losses since 2022. The 40-year-old might be showing his age following a long career and some difficult weight cuts. Coming off unconvincing performances against Randy Brown and Santiago Ponzinibbio, the Russian looks like one of the more vulnerable favourites on the card.

Wang Cong v Gabriella Fernandes

Wang Cong vs Gabriella Fernandes

Wang Cong (6-0-0) has fought twice in the UFC, returning a pair of impressive first-round stoppage wins. The 32-year-old is a slick striker who is also adept on the ground, and she might be destined for big things in the women’s flyweight division. This matchup is a rise in competition, yet online bookmakers have Wang listed as the shortest-priced favourite on the main card.

Gabriella Fernandes (9-3-0) lacks the explosive power of her opponent but is a technically sound MMA athlete with a well-rounded game. The 31-year-old is coming off a narrow decision victory over Carli Judice that will lift her confidence. She will need to be more active against a tougher opponent who will apply relentless pressure and present constant danger.

Volkan Oezdemir v Carlos Ulberg

Volkan Oezdemir vs Carlos Ulberg

Volkan Oezdemir (20-7-0) has shared the octagon with some of the UFC’s biggest names, including Daniel Cormier, Dominick Reyes, and Jiri Prochazka. The 35-year-old is coming off stoppage wins over Johnny Walker and Bogdan Guskov, yet he is unwanted at the top Australian betting sites. Oezdemir is far from a spent force and might provide more resistance than expected.

Carlos Ulberg (11-1-0) rides a six-fight win streak into this contest, with five wins inside the distance. The 34-year-old City Kickboxing product is an elite striker who controls range and can end any bout with a single shot, as shown in his 12-second knockout of Alonzo Menifield last time out. Ulberg might be more cautious against an experienced opponent here.

Zhang Mingyang v Ozzy Diaz

Zhang Mingyang vs Ozzy Diaz

Zhang Mingyang (17-6-0) has looked terrifying throughout his MMA career, having faced the judges just once across 23 fights. The 26-year-old has won his last 10 bouts, with nine first-round knockouts and one first-round submission. While still a work in progress, Zhang looks poised to vault up the light heavyweight rankings.

Ozzy Diaz (9-2-0) had the misfortune to draw Joe Pyfer in Dana White’s Contender Series, losing to the future contender via second-round knockout. The 33-year-old returned to the provincial circuit, where he grabbed a pair of knockout wins, and now gets his chance to impress at UFC level. This promises to be a wild and unpredictable fight between combatants with nothing to lose.

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