Denise Gomes is now a solidified upper-echelon contender toward the top of the women’s strawweight rankings, thanks to her first-round finish of former title challenger Yan Xiaonan in the UFC Shanghai co-main event.
“I’m someone who’s blessed, someone who’s accomplished,” Gomes said in her post-fight interview, through a translator. “I trained a lot for that. I’ve struggled a lot in my life…this was all for that.”
Xiaonan looked to keep her distance in the opening round, using range management and throwing kicks from the outside to try and keep Gomes at bay. It wasn’t all success, however, as Gomes got inside and forced exchanges, including landing an overhand right that caught Xiaonan’s attention.
Another inside exchange late in the round saw Gomes land a crushing elbow on Xiaonan, bringing her to a knee. Gomes followed it up with a combination that put Xiaonan out cold.
Gomes has now won five straight and seven of her last eight. Before this fight, Gomes last fought in November, scoring a decision over Tecia Pennington.
