Gomes knocks out Yan Xiaonan with elbow to claim longest win streak at strawweight

Denise Gomes announced herself as the UFC strawweight division’s most dangerous contender by finishing Yan Xiaonan with a devastating elbow in the first round of Saturday’s co-main event at UFC Shanghai. The 26-year-old Brazilian stopped the former title challenger at the 4:49 mark to record her fifth consecutive victory.

Gomes entered the bout as the less experienced fighter against Yan, who had previously challenged for the UFC strawweight title, but showed no signs of nerves. She set the tone immediately, pressing forward and inviting a striking exchange rather than looking to control distance.

The decisive moment arrived with under 30 seconds left in Round 1. As Yan stepped in to engage, Gomes timed a perfectly placed elbow that stopped the Chinese veteran in her tracks. Two follow-up punches as Yan sank to the canvas confirmed the finish, and referee intervention came swiftly.

The victory gives Gomes the longest active win streak in the UFC’s 115-pound division, breaking a three-way tie she shared with champion Mackenzie Dern and fellow contender Fatima Kline. It is also the clearest statement of intent yet from a fighter who has climbed steadily through the strawweight rankings without ever looking overmatched.

Despite the emphatic performance, Gomes kept her post-fight remarks measured. Rather than calling out a specific opponent, she told the crowd she is “ready for whoever the UFC brings to me” — a composed response that may only add to her appeal as a title challenger.

With Dern holding the belt and Gomes now sitting alone atop the contender standings by win-streak, the matchup between the two appears increasingly difficult for the UFC to avoid.