5 fights to make for UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan winners

Placed between two weekends with no UFC action on offer, UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Xiaonan delivered on all fronts and featured some incredible fights across the card.

Top-ranked strawweight contenders Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan squared off in a pivotal main event matchup, with the latter coming away with a hard-fought victory.

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Like Yan, who was the biggest winner on the night, the rest of the victors at the recently concluded UFC Fight Night will also be looking to carry the same momentum into their next bouts.

With that said, here are five fights to make for the biggest winners at UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan.

#5. Brendan Allen vs. Joe Pyfer

Brendan Allen has enjoyed a solid UFC career thus far since joining the promotion with a win in Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in 2019. The American took his octagon record to 8-2 this past Saturday, when he made quick work of UFC veteran Krzysztof Jotko. The victory even earned him a performance bonus.

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Allen is currently riding a three-fight win streak in the middleweight division. Considering that he barely took any damage in his win over Jotko, 'All In' will be looking for a quick turnaround. A viable option for him next could be against Joe Pyfer, who is also coming off a strong performance at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song.

Pyfer made his promotional debut two weeks ago, scorching Alen Amedovski en route to a first-round knockout win. This came just a few weeks after the Philadelphia native earned a contract at DWCS. 'Bodybagz' hardly broke a sweat in his last bout and made it clear that he's looking to stay active in his post-fight interview.

Both Pyfer and Allen are up-and-coming prospects in a somewhat stale middleweight division. They're both just 26 years old and have a long way to go in their respective careers. A fight between the 185-pound duo will show the matchmakers which of the two is ready for a step-up in competition.

Brendan Allen (left) & Joe Pyfer (right) [Images via @ufc and @MMAFighting on Twitter]

#4. Raoni Barcelos vs. Jack Shore

Raoni Barcelos picked up his sixth win in the UFC at UFC Vegas 61, cruising to a dominant unanimous decision win over Trevin Jones. The 35-year-old Brazilian is among the best unranked bantamweights in the promotion right now. Considering his age, he will be looking to break into the top 15 sooner rather than later.

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Barcelos' win over Jones snapped the Brazilian's two-fight skid, comprising back-to-back narrow decision losses. The all-action bantamweight is must-see TV when he's at his best, with three 'Fight of the Night' bonuses under his belt. A ranked opponent could be on offer next time around.

Jack Shore, who occupies the No.15 spot in the rankings, would be the ideal test for Barcelos. Shore suffered the first loss of his professional career earlier this year when he was finished by Ricky Simon, and the Welshman will be itching to return to winning ways.

Raoni Barcelos vs. Jack Shore is an explosive matchup on paper and has 'Fight of the Night' written all over it. Both high-octane 135-pounders are very well-rounded, making this pairing a no-brainer for the matchmakers. With the UFC returning to Brazil early next year, a fan-friendly matchup like this would be a welcome addition to the card.

Jack Shore (left) & Raoni Barcelos (right) [Images via @jackshoremma & @raonibarcelos_ufc on Instagram]

#3. Sodiq Yussuf vs. Chan Sung Jung

Sodiq Yussuf was scheduled to square off against fellow top-ranked featherweight Giga Chikadze at the recently concluded UFC Fight Night. However, Chikadze sustained an injury just two weeks before the bout and promotional newcomer Don Shainis stepped in on short notice.

Despite it being a high-risk, low-reward situation for Yussuf, he accepted the change of opponent and thoroughly dominated Shainis, finishing him inside 30 seconds.

Yussuf looked on-point right from the get-go, landing heavy knees on Shainis in the clinch before locking up a guillotine choke to force the tap. The Nigerian-American held on to his No.12 spot in the featherweight rankings as a result and will be pursuing a fellow ranked contender in his next outing.

Sodiq Yusuff makes it look too easy. Only 30 seconds 🥵
#UFCVegas61

https://t.co/Qa3fhFz6Vt

With Calvin Kattar vs. Arnold Allen and Bryce Mitchell vs. Movsar Evloev already booked to headline UFC Fight Nights in the coming months, options are certainly limited for Yussuf. After his win over Shainis, 'Super' called out former title challenger Chan Sung Jung and looking at the landscape of the division, it's certainly plausible.

Jung's last appearance inside the octagon was his championship loss to featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski. 'The Korean Zombie' sustained quite a bit of damage in that fight, and at 35 years of age, there were question marks surrounding his desire to continue competing.

This prospect vs. veteran matchup is a mouthwatering clash of styles, as both featherweights clearly prefer stand-up contests, but possess solid grappling nonetheless. It offers Yussuf a chance to break into the top 10 and is a chance for 'The Korean Zombie' to test himself against the next generation of 145-pounders.

Sodiq Yussuf (left) and Chan Sung Jung (right) [Images via @supersodiq & @koreanzombiemma on Instagram]

#2. Randy Brown vs. Michel Pereira

Randy Brown is emerging as an intriguing contender in the welterweight division. The towering Jamaican-American is among the tallest fighters competing at 170 pounds, and more importantly, he knows how to use his height and reach to his advantage.

At UFC Vegas 61, Brown sailed to a unanimous decision win over Francisco Trinaldo to extend his winning streak to four straight.

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Brown has been on the roster for over half a decade and is slowly but surely establishing himself as one of the trickiest welterweights around. His long-range striking has frustrated every opponent he's faced and as he continues to improve, the sky's the limit for 'Rude Boy'.

Brown has been talking up a title shot amidst his recent run of form and could get a shot at a ranked contender next. Pairing him with a fellow striker makes for a very interesting fight, and as such, a fight against No.15-ranked Michel Pereira could be on the horizon.

Pereira is among the most beloved welterweights around. The explosive Brazilian has never had a boring fight, largely because he takes massive risks in pursuit of highlight reel moments. Pereira vs. Brown will more than likely push both fighters to the absolute limit and also showcase which striker is ready to ascend the ranks.

Randy Brown (left) and Michel Pereira (right) [Images via @mmamania & @michelpereiraufc on Instagram]

#1. Yan Xiaonan vs. Rose Namajunas – UFC title elimination bout

Coming into this past weekend, Yan Xiaonan was riding a two-fight losing streak in the strawweight division. Off the back of consecutive losses to Marina Rodriguez and reigning champion Carla Esparza, Yan returned to the octagon to headline UFC Vegas 61 alongside fellow rising contender Mackenzie Dern.

Yan and Dern fought tooth-and-nail for five full rounds, with both fighters enjoying moments of success. Ultimately, the Chinese standout's grappling defense ensured that she returned to the win column as she came away with a majority decision win.

Just pure joy for 🇨🇳Yan Xiaonan! ✌️✌️ #UFCVegas61 https://t.co/nlvzpxIDtc

Yan will likely claim Dern's No.5 spot in the rankings with her recent victory, which will put her just one or two wins away from a shot at UFC gold. Another high-profile win will do wonders for her title aspirations, and it doesn't get more high profile than former two-time champion Rose Namajunas.

'Thug' Rose lost the title in her last outing and likely won't get a rematch against strawweight queen Carla Esparza, who now has two wins over her. If she intends to return to title contention, Namajunas will need to take out a top-ranked contender, making the fight against Yan logical.

Additionally, it's a sensational clash stylistically as both strawweights have pin-point kickboxing. Namajunas undoubedly has more fight-ending ability, evident in her title-winning performances previously, while Yan's output and volume could see her cruise to another decision win and edge closer to a title shot.

Yan Xiaonan (left) and Rose Namajunas (right) [Images via @xiaonan_yan & @rosenamajunas on Instagram]