Taila Santos reminded everyone why she’s long been considered one of the best flyweights in the world.
The one-time UFC title challenger made short work of her latest PFL opponent, needing a little over two minutes to land a devastating body kick on Yan Qihui and put her away with strikes at PFL Sioux Falls on Saturday.
Watch the finish below.
The fight was
all Santos as she used her superior size and striking technique to pick Yan apart from distance. Yan attempted to counter with low kicks, but Santos used her jab to perfection to punish the Chinese fighter. It wasn’t long before Santos ramped up the aggression, catching Yan with a perfect front kick to the midsection that immediately had Yan wincing in pain.
Santos didn’t hesitate, following up with strikes to force the stoppage 2:02 into Round 1.
It was a much-needed win for Santos (23-4), who was competing for the first time since November 2024, with six months of her time away spent under suspension for a failed drug test that she later blamed on accidentally taking supplements that belonged to her bodybuilding husband. Santos entered PFL Sioux Falls as the No. 11 flyweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.
Yan (25-5) was also coming off of a lengthy layoff having not fought since August 2024, when she lost to Danni McCormack on a Road to UFC event. “Queen Kong” has now lost two straight.
