| Yana Kunitskaya Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 8 in |
| Weight | 61 kg |
| Date of Birth | November 11, 1989 |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Boyfriend | Thiago Santos |
Yana Kunitskaya is a Russian professional mixed martial artist who began competing in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2018. As of July 2021, she was ranked number 6 in the UFC bantamweight rankings. She had started her professional career in May 2009 and by September 2016, had amassed a 9-2 win-loss record in promotions across Poland, Russia, Denmark, and Lithuania. In August 2013, she had announced the end of her sports career and her transition to coaching but had come out of retirement 3 years later. In late 2016, she had signed up a contract with the Invicta Fighting Championships, before switching to UFC in early 2018.
Born Name
Yana Kunitskaya
Nick Name
Foxy
Yana Kunitskaya as seen in an Instagram Post in June 2021 (Yana Kunitskaya / Instagram)
Sun Sign
Scorpio
Born Place
Murmansk, Murmansk Oblast, Russia
Residence
Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, United States
Nationality
Education
Yana, aged 16, had left her hometown of Murmansk to live and study in St. Petersburg. She had joined the Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport, and Health there and had been a member of their sports team.
Occupation
Professional Mixed Martial Artist
Yana Kunitskaya as seen in an Instagram Post in September 2021 (Yana Kunitskaya / Instagram)
Family
- Father – Joseph (Former Professional Skier)
- Mother – Olga Kunitskaya (Former Professional Gymnast)
- Siblings – Victoria Kunitskaya (Younger Sister)
Weight(s)
Featherweight, Bantamweight
Stance
Orthodox
Reach
5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
Weight
61 kg or 134.5 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
Yana has dated –
- Thiago Santos (2019-Present) – Yana had started dating Brazilian mixed martial artist and fellow UFC athlete Thiago Santos in June 2019 and the couple got engaged in December 2020. On August 16, 2021, Yana had announced that the pair were expecting their first child together. This had led fans to speculate that she was pregnant during her bout against Irene Aldana on July 10, 2021. Yana had denied these claims.
She also has a son named Adam (b. 2013) from a previous, unnamed relationship. Thiago, too, has a son, named Hiago, from a previous relationship.
Yana Kunitskaya and Thiago Santos, as seen in July 2021 (Yana Kunitskaya / Instagram)
Race / Ethnicity
White
She is of Russian descent.
Hair Color
Blonde
Eye Color
Green
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Center-parted, shoulder-length, straight hair
- Has a mole on her neck
Yana Kunitskaya as seen in an Instagram Post in August 2021 (Yana Kunitskaya / Instagram)
Yana Kunitskaya Facts
- Born to parents who were both professional athletes, Yana had taken to sports at a very young age. She had started getting trained in taekwondo when she was in preschool and had won numerous tournaments, with many of her fights ending in knockouts.
- When she was 12 years old, she had started participating in hand-to-hand combat competitions. She had fought a significant number of bouts without suffering a defeat. She had eventually started practicing mixed martial arts at the age of 18.
- In November 2016, her first bout at the Invicta Fighting Championships was for the Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship. Yana had defeated Tonya Evinger via submission but the result had been overturned a few days later after Tonya had appealed the loss due to a controversial referee call. This meant that Tonya had retained her title.
- The pair had then faced off in a rematch in the main event of Invicta FC 22 in March 2017. Yana had lost the fight via submission in the 2nd round. In August 2017, in her 3rd and final bout for Invicta, she had defeated Raquel Pa’aluhi to win the vacant Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship.
Featured Image by Yana Kunitskaya / Instagram
