Denise Gomes says Yan is not UFC Shanghai’s biggest threat yet

Denise Gomes believes Yan Xiaonan is a serious opponent but not the biggest threat she has faced in her UFC career. The Brazilian will meet China’s former title challenger in the UFC Shanghai co-main event on Saturday.

Gomes enters the contest with a 12-3 record and has identified aggression and intelligence as key parts of her approach. Her assessment of Yan reflects confidence in the progress she has made since reaching the UFC in 2022.

Yan has previously challenged for UFC gold, losing to fellow Chinese fighter Weili Zhang. Gomes nevertheless views the bout as one stage in a much larger career test rather than the ultimate challenge of her career.

The Brazilian described the fight as the biggest of her career so far, while also placing it in the context of the opponents she has already faced and those still ahead. In that sense, Yan represents the highest point of Gomes’ current progress, but not the limit of what she expects to encounter.

Gomes earned her place in the UFC through Contender Series in 2022. Four years after that breakthrough, she is competing in a high-profile co-main event, a development she considers evidence that her work is producing results.

Her rise has been gradual, with Gomes pointing to the difference between the fighter who appeared on Contender Series and the athlete now preparing to face a former title challenger. She sees the opportunity in Shanghai as another step in that progression rather than a final destination.