Women’s Strawweight UFC 288 Action
Jessica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan is one of the highlight fights on the UFC fight card at UFC 288 on Saturday.
Andrade, a legend of the sport, looks to score her 25th win. However, Xiaonan has proven to be a tough opponent despite a much lighter career schedule.
The sportsbook has Andrade at -200, so expectations are high for the Brazilian.
Title Hopes Not Dead Yet
Andrade hasn’t given up on competing for the strawweight title, despite suffering a costly loss to Erin Blanchfield in February.
The second-round submission loss set her back, but the 31-year-old still has plenty of promise in this division. She is the former champion, so it’s not out of her grasp to get back to her best.
UFC betting markets expect her to bounce back to the form which saw her defeat the likes of Lauren Murphy, Amanda Lemos, and Katlyn Chookagian.
“I think a lot of things can happen,” Andrade said. “My main focus is to put on a good fight. Depending on the win I have, it could get me closer to a title shot at strawweight as well.”
The thing we like about Andrade is that she’s having her third fight in 2023. She’s hungry for the title shot, and although there are other fighters closer in line, a big win over Xiaonan would see her rise the ranks.
If she gets off to a hot start in Round 1, bettors should expect to see her UFC live betting odds firm considerably. She only gets stronger as the fight goes on.
Xiaonan Makes 2023 Debut
UFC 288 odds have Xiaonan at +160 to win as she enters her first fight in 2023.
The 33-year-old Chinese fighter last fought in October when beating Mackenzie Dern by decision over five rounds, so she might have needed the extended break to recover.
That followed a loss to Marina Rodriguez at UFC 272, and much like Andrade, that loss set her back in the strawweight rankings.
There could be value in her sport betting odds. Despite being the older fighter, she is fresher, and her 16-3 record is impressive.
“I think I was made for this sport since I’m a fearless fighter. Willing to throw punches, and I like to throw hard strikes. That’s why I think I’m capable of doing MMA. This is a sport for me,” Xiaonan said.
Currently outside the top five rankings in the division. Xiaonan needs to show her best on Saturday. If she doesn’t, she will slip further down the rankings and a title shot may never come.
The pressure of the situation could get to her. It won’t get to Andrade, who has done this all before, so that could be the difference in the Octagon.
Andrade vs Xiaonan Head-to-Head
This will be the first meeting between Andrade and Xiaonan.
Andrade vs Xiaonan Fight Information
- Fighters: Andrade (24-10) vs Xiaonan (16-3)
- Location: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
- Day/Time: Saturday, May 6, 10 p.m. ET
- Andrade vs Xiaonan Live stream: UFC Fight Pass
Andrade vs Xiaonan Betting Lines
Andrade vs Xiaonan Picks and Prediction
The -200 for Andrade with online gambling markets is quite short, but she’s the better fighter and she should get the job done.
Her experience, having been a past UFC champion, puts her well above Xiaonan, who could be overcome by the situation.
Bettors should expect money to come for Andrade, who we rated around -250.
The Andrade are listed at -200 in our Vegas UFC lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Andrade, you have a chance to win $50. The Xiaonan are +160, offering a chance to win $160 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Andrade a 66.67% chance to win, with Xiaonan at 38.46%.
