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Chapter 394 - 361: Starting Off, Arrogant

Chapter 394: Chapter 361: Starting Off, Arrogant

New York Time 8 P.M., the first Combat World Cup group stage, Group C’s first match is about to begin.

At the Hill Sports Gym, Hua Country Team’s preparation area, Yan Xiaonan is warming up.

The first match, Hua Country Team vs. Thailand Team. The first bout is in the strawweight category and according to the rules, it must be a female contestant who fights. Originally, Zhang Weili was supposed to fight the first bout for Hua Country Team, but due to physical reasons, she cannot compete today, so Yan Xiaonan has to step in.

"Please bring out the athletes."

On the platform, the referee calls out.

Yan Xiaonan takes a deep breath and walks towards the check-in area.

"Go Yan Xiaonan!"

"Come on Xiaonan!"

"You can do it!"

Members of the Hua Country Team cheer for Yan Xiaonan, who high-fives them and runs towards the check-in area.

An electronic scale is placed in the check-in area; the contestants must weigh-in before stepping on the platform to ensure their weight matches the designated category.

Unlike the UFC, where weigh-ins are done a day before, this method does not test the athlete’s ability to control weight and recover quickly; all contestants almost always compete at their corresponding weight class.

Both contestants had no issues with their weight and proceed from the check-in area to the square ring.

[Sandboxing (Master Level), Boxing (Master Level), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Master Level)]

[B+ (89%)]

This is Yan Xiaonan’s data.

[Muay Thai (Master Level)]

[B+ (78%)]

These are the data of Apone, the female competitor from the Thailand Team.

From the data, the two contenders are almost equally matched, with Yan Xiaonan having an advantage in one more ground skill than her opponent.

With a wave of his hand, the referee starts the match!

Apone initiates the attack, fiercely throwing punches at Yan Xiaonan.

Yan Xiaonan does not show weakness, trading blows with Apone.

The two exchange punches and kicks, battling fiercely.

After a hook punch, Yan Xiaonan suddenly sees her chance and executes a brutal sweep kick, knocking her opponent down.

Bang!

Without waiting for her opponent to react, Yan Xiaonan directly mounts her opponent’s waist, both fists raining down like a storm!

"Ohhh!"

The audience immediately gets excited, and members of the Hua Country Team are also thrilled.

In Muay Thai, there is no ground fighting; the fallen opponent must stand up before the battle can continue, hence Li Tongyun’s strategy for Yan Xiaonan was to frequently use the sweep kick, unexpectedly knocking down the opponent, and using the mounted position to fight.

Apone was not entirely unprepared; her arms shield her face, blocking Yan Xiaonan’s attacks, while she uses her hips and legs to lift forcefully, attempting to dislodge Yan Xiaonan.

Apone has significant strength, and after receiving several punches, she manages to lift Yan Xiaonan off and kicks her away, forcing Yan Xiaonan to retreat.

The two re-engage in a standing fight, with Apone not slowing her aggressive tactics.

Swoosh!

Yan Xiaonan tries another low sweep kick, but this time Apone anticipates it, dodges, and swiftly takes the opportunity to grab Yan Xiaonan’s neck as she is unsteady.

Holding Yan Xiaonan’s neck down while raising her right leg, Apone delivers a ferocious knee strike towards Yan Xiaonan’s face!

Bang!

Yan Xiaonan blocks it with her hands in front of her face, but Apone continues her assault, her knee repeatedly striking!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Apone’s explosive power is overwhelming, and Yan Xiaonan can only regress to dissipate the force, her arms solely focused on defense, struggling to break free.

"Hang in there, Yan Xiaonan!"

"Keep it up!"

"Stay strong!"

Members of the Hua Country Team shout nervously from below, aware that a single unguarded knee strike could result in a KO.

After being pushed back five or six steps, Yan Xiaonan finds herself at the edge of the ring with no opportunity to escape; she opts to leap backward, deciding to intentionally jump off the ring.

In fact, the tactic of intentionally jumping off the ring to disrupt the opponent’s momentum by exploiting rules has been used by many in Yanhuang Technique matches, and all members of the Hua Country Team have practiced this strategy during training.

"Mix light and heavy legs, don’t just use heavy kicks!"

Taking advantage of the moment Yan Xiaonan falls off the ring, Li Tongyun shouts from the sidelines, providing tactical advice.

This is also a hallmark of combat sports, where coaches can remind players from the sidelines. Sometimes when we see coaches shouting, it’s not just cheering—it may also be tactical advice.

Yan Xiaonan nods at Li Tongyun and quickly returns to the ring; if she does not do so within ten seconds, she would be directly declared the loser.

Both return to the center of the ring as the referee quickly signals for the match to continue.

Swoosh!

Apone suddenly kicks, hitting Yan Xiaonan on the shin.

Bang!

Yan Xiaonan was swept off her feet, but Apone didn’t advance to punch her. Instead, he continued to kick toward Yan Xiaonan’s thigh.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Apone kicked three times in quick succession, while Yan Xiaonan, on the ground, propped up her legs in defense, not allowing Apone any closer.

"She doesn’t want to get close."

Below the stage, Li Tongyun frowned and commented.

Wu Li glanced at her and asked, "All three kicks at the same spot, trying to affect Yan Xiaonan’s kicking ability later?"

Li Tongyun nodded, "That must be the aim."

On the stage, after the three kicks, Yan Xiaonan seized the moment to thrust her foot into Apone’s chest, pushing him back several steps and quickly stood up herself.

Just as she stood up, Yan Xiaonan frowned, feeling a pain in her right thigh muscle as if it were being pricked by needles; this was where she had been kicked.

Apone executed another low sweeping kick, which Yan Xiaonan stepped back to avoid, but suddenly, Apone switched to his left leg and launched a high kick at Yan Xiaonan’s head.

This sudden change caught Yan Xiaonan off guard; she tried to step back, driven by her right leg, but the lingering pain in her thigh muscle slowed her movement. Consequently, she couldn’t dodge the kick.

Bang!

Yan Xiaonan was struck in the temple by Apone’s kick, her body swaying momentarily before collapsing to the left.

After falling, Yan Xiaonan momentarily lost consciousness, and Apone seized the opportunity to fiercely punch her in the face.

Struck, Yan Xiaonan instinctively tried to raise her arms to defend herself, but her reactions were significantly slowed.

Before Apone could land a second punch, the referee swiftly intervened, wrapping his arms around Apone, signaling the end of the match, with Yan Xiaonan losing by TKO.

"Roar!!"

Apone shouted excitedly, and much of the audience cheered along.

"First round, Thailand Team wins!"

The referee declared the match over, and on the adjacent electronic screen, the scores for Hua Country Team and Thailand Team changed to 0:1.

Yan Xiaonan quickly regained consciousness, walking off the stage with a face full of regret.

"I’m sorry..."

"It’s okay!"

Before she could finish, Wu Li interjected, patting her shoulder. "This is a team match, we still have our turns, it doesn’t matter."

"Exactly, Sister Xiaonan, now it’s our turn!" the others also chimed in.

Despite the words of encouragement, Yan Xiaonan’s expression remained downcast. It was true this was a team match, but each round counted for points. Losing one round meant one less point for Hua Country Team, and the points were critical for moving forward. She had really wanted to win that point for her team.

"I’m up."

Wang Kehan told everyone. It was her turn for the flyweight match.

"Good luck!" everyone responded.

"Hua Country Team!"

"Good luck!"

"Hua Country Team!"

"Good luck!"

The stadium also filled with thunderous cheers; half of those attending today were from Hua Country. Although they were disappointed about the first loss, they quickly regrouped and began cheering for the player in the next round.

...

"Ladies and gentlemen, next up for Hua Country Team is Wang Kehan, a name familiar to those who have followed Free Fighting competitions, as she has won many Free Fighting championships."

In the Penguin Sports studio, two commentators who had previously covered UFC and Yanhuang Technique were providing commentary for the audience online.

Female commentator: "Yan Xiaonan lost the first round to her opponent; I wonder if Wang Kehan can score the first point for Hua Country Team this round?"

Male commentator: "Wang Kehan was known as the top fighter back home before she retired, and now she is making a comeback. Having been chosen by Wu Li to join Hua Country Team suggests she’s still in good shape. Let’s wait and see."

Female commentator: "Thailand Team’s player is Anchaya, a contracted fighter with Thailand’s RJ, and she has won RJ women’s flyweight championships!"

"The match has begun! Both fighters start with punches, which are dodged, and continue punching!"

"They both start aggressively!"

Male commentator: "Wang Kehan comes from a background in Free Fighting, similar to Muay Thai, both standing fighting styles. This match will mainly be a contest of punches and kicks."

"Wang Kehan kicks! Her leg technique is outstanding—fast and fierce!"

"Anchaya blocks a few and starts to kick back. The two begin to battle with their kicks."

...

"The opponent’s leg technique is strong too; this round is going to be tough."

Below the stage, Wu Li murmured.

Beside him, Li Tongyun frowned, Thailand Team very likely would send Anchaya for the second round, something she had anticipated. Li Tongyun had analyzed Anchaya’s match videos and data, and had informed Wang Kehan that the opponent’s leg technique was formidable.

Li Tongyun had planned for Wang Kehan to primarily defend and look for opportunities to counterattack rather than directly compete in leg techniques as they were doing currently.

"Wang Kehan is quite proud," Li Tongyun said softly.

She was somewhat dissatisfied that Wang Kehan wasn’t following the strategy she had set, an unusual situation for her. Previously, UFC trainers who hired her as a coach paid hefty sums and would never ignore her guidance. Operating differently with Wang Kehan was a first for her.

Wu Li nodded, "The first time I met her, I sensed she was harboring a strong sense of pride. Her best skill is in her leg technique, so asking her to concede in her strongest area isn’t something she’s happy about."