In a recent episode of *The MMA Hour* hosted by Ariel Helwani, Yan Xiaonan spoke out about the controversial incident during her strawweight title fight against Zhang Weili at UFC 300.
Xiaonan, who lost the bout by unanimous decision, was involved in a contentious moment at the end of the first round where she appeared to have been choked unconscious.
Further adding to the controversy, her corner was suspected of using smelling salts to revive her, which are prohibited in competition.
Yan Xiaonan Addresses Controversial Moment in UFC 300 Fight Against Zhang Weili
During the interview, translated by her interpreter, Xiaonan vehemently denied these allegations:
“So, to be honest, I didn’t notice what the cutman was doing between the rounds because when I went back to my corner, I was still recovering from the choke so the only thing I can say is you’re right and then he stood in front of me and they were talking. I cannot absorb anything they said so actually I didn’t notice what the cutman was doing, but yeah.”
She also refuted the idea that smelling salts were used:
“The smelling salts thing, it makes no sense. Nobody put those to let me smell that. No, nobody used those things to wake me up. No, it makes no sense. Just like all my previous fights, you guys know, it was not allowed to be used.”
Xiaonan explained that it was the application of water and ice, not smelling salts, that helped her recover between rounds. She stressed that while she felt pressure under her nose, it didn’t significantly impact her recovery.
"The smelling salts thing makes no sense. Nobody used those things to wake me up."
Yan Xiaonan shoots down the smelling salts controversy from her UFC 300 fight.
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Yan Xiaonan Clarifies Not Being Unconscious During the Fight
Addressing concerns that she was unconscious at the end of the first round, Xiaonan clarified her condition during those critical moments:
“I was facing the roof of the arena and then I could see the clock on the big screen so when I saw that there were about ten seconds left, I thought I could go through this round, but at the last second when they ring bell, I was almost out just like somebody almost knocked me out, but I still recognized that I need to stand up immediately and try my best to walk to my corner to show that the fight is still able to continue.”
Despite the controversy and her eventual loss, Xiaonan emphasized that she was cognizant and able to continue the fight, countering claims that she had been rendered unconscious by Weili’s rear-naked choke.
The allegations and her testimony have stirred up considerable discussion among UFC fans and commentators, with many scrutinizing the video footage from the fight. Regardless of the controversy, Xiaonan’s performance in UFC 300 remains a topic of significant debate and interest in the MMA community.
