The UFC strawweight division has slipped in recent years, but a major new signing might be just what it needs to get going again.
A few years back, the 115-pound class was widely considered the deepest women’s division in the UFC. Zhang Weili was on top of a roster that included former champions like Rose Namajunas, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Carla Esparza and Jessica Andrade.
Since then, retirements and weight class changes have shifted the landscape. Mackenzie Dern’s title win last October didn’t exactly spark a lot of excitement either.
But things could pick up soon. New signing Xiong Jing Nan has the chance to make an immediate impact if she impresses in her debut.
New UFC signing may have clear path to title
At 36 years old and with only four years of MMA experience under her belt, Xiong Jing Nan might not seem like an obvious title threat at first glance. But don’t be fooled by her short resume – she’s already accomplished quite a bit outside the octagon.
During her time with ONE Championship, Xiong racked up eight consecutive defences of their strawweight title between 2018 and 2023, beating top names like Angela Lee along the way. Her final fight there came in November last year when she dropped down to atomweight to challenge Stamp Fairtex for gold but lost by TKO in round three.
Mackenzie Dern is set for her first title defence against Amanda Lemos later this year but admitted she had no idea about Jing Nan’s arrival until the announcement went public.
Xiong Jing Nan set for UFC debut against Angela Hill at UFC Macau
ONE Championship let Xiong go in March as part of a broader shift away from mixed martial arts, which also saw the organisation shut down its women’s strawweight (125 pounds) division.
The 38-year-old had been the first and only champion of that weight class since 2018. She holds a 19-2 record in MMA and hasn’t lost since 2019, when she was defeated by Angela Lee while attempting to claim the atomweight (115 pounds) title.
Once she became a free agent, there was immediate interest from fans wanting to see her in the UFC. The organisation has now made it official, adding ‘The Panda’ to its roster.
Xiong won’t have to wait long for her first test inside the Octagon either.
The announcement of her signing was accompanied by news that she will make her debut in front of home fans in less than two months.
The Chinese fighter is scheduled to face No. 14-ranked strawweight Angela Hill at UFC Macau on May 30. The card is topped by Song Yadong’s bantamweight fight against Deiveson Figueiredo.
This matchup also marks Xiong’s move down to 115 pounds, even though most of her success came at a higher weight class. She also missed weight when trying to hit the strawweight limit back in March this year.
“Xiong Jing Nan has serious power. Strawweights better watch out.”
“About time.”
“Banger.”
“Oh my days, what a bout.”
“19-2 with a 11 KOs from ONE? May be a problem.”
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