Yana Santos is the only girl from Russia who was fighting for the title in the UFC, but recently the athlete’s affairs are not in the best way. It is good that at the UFC ON ESPN 67 tournament, our beauty managed to deal with the American legend of promotion. Even frantic fans did not interfere.

“A dream that has become reality”

Yana debuted in the UFC back in 2018 under the name Kunitskaya. Moreover, the girl was immediately given a championship battle. Since then, she has remained the only Russian woman who has been beating behind the belt. Unfortunately, it was not possible to win the title. The exit on a short notice against Chris Saiborg turned into a knockout in the first round.

More than seven years have passed since the debut. During this time, the athlete managed to marry the Brazilian fighter Tiago Santos and give birth to two children. True, the return after the second birth turned out to be unsuccessful. Yana lost two of the three fights, winning only Chelsea Cendler in August 2024.

The next rival of Santos was the ex-OFC champion Misha Tate, who returned to the octagon after a break for a year and a half. For Yana, this battle was special, because she had to prove that she worthy of a place in Roster Ben.

– I could not imagine that I would reach such a level and I would have the opportunity to fight her. For me it is like a dream that has become a reality. Her style with an emphasis on Takedown will be a great challenge to me, but it only enthusiastically, ”said Santos to the duel.

Yana Santos and Misha Teit / Photo: © Mike Roach / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

“It is unpleasant to speak in such an atmosphere”

The duel Santos and Tate took place in the USA, where Misha is very fond of. It is not surprising that her exit was met with stormy applause. But Yana fell under the rigid pressure of the fans, who boosted her loudly. Moreover, the ring-anonser had to make efforts to shout out a crowd of excited Americans during the performance of Santos.

I tried to put pressure from the first seconds and Tate, but you can safely crush Yana only outside the octagon. With harsh blows towards Santos quickly repulsed the opponent’s desire to go forward. Misha opened bleeding from the nose, which could not be stopped until the end of the battle.

In the first two rounds, the Russian advantage was undeniable. The rival remained to hope for Tekykdown, but all five attempts to transfer the opponent to Canvas with a bang failed. But according to the accented blows, Jan out of the fourthly surpassed the American – 62:35.

In the final segment, Santos could only not run into early defeat. Certain difficulties arose with this. Tate was finally able to hold a successful Takedown, after which she owned the initiative in the stalls. Yana competently defended herself, but the attempt of a suffocating reception forced the fans of the Russians to be nervous. Judges deservedly gave this round to the ex-champion, but it was no longer necessary to count on general success. All judges recorded the victory of Santos with the same account – 29–28.

Yana Santos (right) / Photo: © Josh Hedges / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

– It’s hard to say, they boog out me, but I don’t care. Thanks to the opponent, she was always my favorite fighter. It is a great honor to share the octagon with her. Victory over her is my dream. It is unpleasant to speak in such an atmosphere, ”said Santos under the loud rumble of the crowd.

Unlike aggressive fans, Tate behaved like a real legend. After the final siren, the American warmly hugged our athlete. For Yana, this victory means a lot. For the first time since 2021, she won two victories in a row, which means she should spend at least a few more battles in the UFC.

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