UFC fighters Thiago Santos and Yana Kunitskaya are now engaged
UFC couple Thiago Santos and Yana Kunitskaya are getting married. The proposal made by Santos was filmed by his future wife and posted on her Instagram.
The two announced they were in a relationship just over one year ago, although it is speculated the fighters have been together for longer.
Santos and Kunitskaya will be the second married UFC couple to date after Mark and Montana De La Rosa tied knots at the beginning of 2020.
'The Sledgehammer' Santos made the engagement offer in Florida, where they currently live.
Santos and Kunitskaya are often seen training together. The couple helps each other with advice and motivation ahead of their bouts.
"She is a very hard-working girl who wants you to help. She likes to learn, listens to you, accepts what you say, understands, and is very dedicated. I have never seen a girl train as much as she does. Pleased to help," Santos said about his partner.
Thiago Santos and Yana Kunitskaya's UFC career
The Brazilian fighter Thiago Santos started his MMA career in 2010, joining the UFC three years later. Currently, he is the second-ranked UFC Light heavyweight contender.
With 13 wins and seven losses in the promotion, Santos had a reversal in his form in his last two fights. In his title shot against then-champion Jon Jones, 'The Sledgehammer' delivered a convincing performance, but it was not enough to convince all the judges. He lost via split decision.
In his only fight in 2020, Santos faced fellow-countryman Glover Teixeira. The bout was seen as the last step for the title shot against UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz, but Santos couldn't overpower the veteran Teixeira. He suffered another loss, this time via submission in the third round.
Santos is scheduled to face fourth-ranked UFC Light Heavyweight Alexander Rakic on March 6, 2021.
The Russian fighter Yana Kunitskaya started her MMA career in 2009, one year earlier than her future husband. However, she only joined the promotion much later in 2018. Kunitskaya had a tough debut with a loss via TKO in the first round to Cris Cyborg. She has performed in four fights after that in UFC, winning three of them.
Kunistskaya is looking for a higher position in the women's UFC Bantamweight ranking. After her last win against Julija Stoliarenko, the Russian was promoted to eighth place in the division. Her next fight is still unknown.