Another fight has been added to UFC Auckland, with Karolina Kowalkiewicz taking on Yan Xiaonan inside the Spark Arena on February 23, 2020.
Karolina Kowalkiewicz was once challenging for the world title in a jam-packed Madison Square Garden arena, but after now losing three consecutive fights, she is clinging on to her status as a ranked fighter at #14 in the strawweight division and could very well be fighting for her job here. Karolina Kowalkiewicz has proven she can fight at the highest of levels, including holding a victory over former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas, but her struggles as of late are difficult to ignore, with losses to Jessica Andrade, Michelle Waterson, Alexa Grasso, and losing a total of five of her last seven fights.
All it takes is one win to turn things around, though, and you can expect Kowalkiewicz’s disposition to be cool and demure as it always is before the clock starts, even though she will be moments away from competing in a fight that could prove to be the catalyst for one of the biggest turning points of her mixed martial arts career.
Yan Xiaonan’s career is on a completely different trajectory to that of her opponent. Her last loss was nine years ago; and at 30 years old, Xiaonan is ready to enter the UFC strawweight rankings to begin her campaign towards a world title shot. Xiaonan is 4-0 in the UFC and most recently defeated former ranked strawweight Angela Hill via unanimous decision at UFC 238. Each of her victories inside the Octagon has been unanimous, showcased by a striking-centric skill set.
With the addition of this bout, the current UFC Auckland lineup includes:
Main Event: Paul Felder vs. Dan Hooker
Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Yan Xiaonan
Jake Matthews vs. Emil Meek
Vinicius Moreira vs. Tyson Pedro
Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Ben Sosoli
Magomed Mustafaev vs. Brad Riddell
Do you believe Karolina Kowalkiewicz is fighting for a job in this pivotal bout against Yan Xiaonan?
