Yan Xiaonan went through quite the rollercoaster ride in her first career Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title fight.

The co-main event of UFC 300 saw the Strawweight title on the line this past weekend (April 13, 2024). The reigning two-time champion, Zhang Weili, was set to defend for the fourth time overall when tasked with her fellow countrywoman, Yan. Zhang won the China vs. China showdown via a hard-fought unanimous decision, but the majority of the drama came at the end of round one.

After a largely successful opening four minutes for the challenger, Yan fell into a precarious position with the champion on her back in the waning seconds. Zhang locked in a deep rear-naked choke with 10 seconds left and ultimately put Yan to sleep — or as close to it as possible — as the bell sounded. Between rounds, the commentators speculated whether or not the cutman was using smelling salts or something potentially banned to re-awaken Yan in her corner. The top contender has since disputed the notion after the fact, and retired veteran referee, “Big” John McCarthy, has provided clarity on what happened.

“There were no smelling salts used in the Zhang vs. Xiaonan fight,” McCarthy tweeted. “The Commentators thought they saw the Cutman who works for the UFC (not the fighter) putting something under the nose of Yan after saying ‘Do you want me to wake her up??’ The Cutman (Rudy Hernandez) used a technique often seen in boxing where you push at the base of the nose, in and up to create pain. It makes the brain respond to the pressure of the push. Rudy was using his fingers to create the pressure and the gloves he was wearing were black. The commentary mistook the verbal question and the technique used. There was nothing done that broke any rules.”

Yan rallied to the best of her abilities despite the tough end of the opening frame. Surviving more danger in round two after a pummeling of strikes on the ground, Yan won round three on all judges' scorecards. Ultimately, the wrestling of Zhang was too much to overcome in the championship rounds for the challenger.

For complete UFC 300 results and LIVE play-by-play click HERE.