October is going to be a big month for the UFC. Two massive fights for that month got revealed earlier today.
Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA broke the news earlier today that there will be a strawweight main event in October. On October first, fans will be treated to five rounds of Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan. The bout is an important one in the 115-pound division.
The Brazilian is fresh off a victory over Tecia Torres at UFC 273 in April. Prior to the announcement of her fight against Yan Xiaonan, she was hoping for an interim title fight with Weili Zhang. While she won’t get her title fight, she’ll get a big matchup later this year.
Yan Xiaonan, on other hand, is riding a two-fight losing streak. In her last two outings, she’s lost to Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez. Prior to her current skid, she was riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak.
However, the headliner between Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan isn’t the only fight on tap for October. First broken by Full Violence on Twitter, welterweights Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady are set for UFC 281. The card will take place on October 22nd at the Etihad Arena.
‘Remember The Name’ is currently riding an eight-fight unbeaten streak. Muhammad’s most recent victory saw him defeat Vicente Luque via unanimous decision in April. Prior to the booking with Brady, he was angling for a fight with Khamzat Chimaev.
Instead of ‘The Wolf’, Belal Muhammad will face Sean Brady. The Philadelphia-native is sitting at a perfect 15-0 professional record to this point in his career. His most recent outing was a unanimous decision victory over Michael Chiesa in November 2021.
Are you excited about these matchups later this year? Sound off in the comment section below!