Skip to content
The Fight Brief

Yana Santos vs. Luana Santos

UFC Fight Night · October 31, 2026 · Meta Apex · Main Card

The brief

What kind of fight
Veteran volume vs. rising submission threat
Finish likelihood
Medium
The line
No line posted yet
The stakes
Women's Bantamweight · Main Card

The read

Luana Santos's grappling gives her a path to finish this on the mat if she can get the fight there, and her recent form has been sharper than her opponent's long layoff would suggest.

Yana Santos brings championship-level experience and durability that has never been easy to finish, setting up a competitive fight that could go either way if it stays standing.

The matchup

Yana Santos
Durable Veteran Striker
Former featherweight title challenger · Three-fight win streak · Decision-heavy
GrapplingStriking
Luana Santos
Submission-Heavy Grappler
Leading bantamweight contender · High submission rate · Three-fight win streak
GrapplingStriking

This pairs two of the division's leading contenders in a bout with real rankings stakes.

Yana Santos's durability and decision-heavy volume have carried her to three straight wins since her only UFC title shot, while Luana Santos's submission craft has fueled her own three-fight streak and made her one of the harder outs in the division on the ground.

The layoff is the biggest variable for Yana Santos, who hasn't competed in more than a year.

Tale of the tape

17-8Record11-2
36Age26
5'6"Height5'6"
68.5"Reach67"
OrthodoxStanceOrthodox
RussiaCountryBrazil
American Top TeamTeamSyndicate MMA

The numbers

Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.

Yana SantosLuana Santos
Sig. strikes landed / min (volume)
Striking accuracy (precision)
Sig. strikes absorbed / min (lower is better)
Striking defense (strikes avoided)
Takedowns / 15 min (wrestling offense)
Takedown accuracy
Takedown defense
Submission attempts / 15 min

The fighters

Yana Santos 17-8

Foxy

Yana 'Foxy' Santos is a 36-year-old Russian bantamweight training with American Top Team, and a former UFC featherweight title challenger who fell to Cris Cyborg by first-round TKO at UFC 222 in 2018. Her 17-8 record includes a no-contest not reflected in the win-loss total, and she has won three straight by decision, most recently over Macy Chiasson at UFC 320. She returns after more than a year away from competition to face fellow contender Luana Santos in a bout with real implications for the bantamweight rankings.

How they win
7 KO/TKO1 SUB9 DEC
How they lose
3 KO/TKO2 SUB3 DEC
Last 3 fights
  • WMacy Chiasson · Decision (unanimous)UFC 320 · October 4, 2025
  • WMiesha Tate · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo · May 3, 2025
  • WChelsea Chandler · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Tybura vs. Spivac 2 · August 10, 2024

Full Santos profile →

Luana Santos 11-2

Luana Santos is a 26-year-old Brazilian bantamweight, one of the division's leading contenders, whose 11-2 record is built on a mix of submissions and decisions with five wins apiece. She has won three straight, including a second-round Americana submission of Tainara Lisboa and a unanimous decision over Karol Rosa in June 2026, and both career losses have come by decision. She now faces the biggest name of her UFC run in former title challenger Yana Santos.

How they win
1 KO/TKO5 SUB5 DEC
How they lose
0 KO/TKO0 SUB2 DEC
Last 3 fights
  • WKarol Rosa · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night · June 20, 2026
  • WMelissa Croden · Decision (unanimous)UFC on ESPN 73 · December 13, 2025
  • WTainara Lisboa · Submission (Americana)UFC Fight Night · May 17, 2025

Full Santos profile →