Who is Liana Jojua, the Georgian flyweight who was in the corner of Mariya Agapova at UFC Fight Night 194?
Liana Jojua is a 26-year-old mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC women's flyweight division. Also known as 'She Wolf', Jojua caught Dana White's attention after her series of wins at Russian MMA promotions.
Jojua was born on March 22, 1995, in Tbilisi, Georgia. She won the inaugural Fight Nights Global women's bantamweight championship in 2018.
Jojua made her UFC debut in September 2019 against Sarah Moras, who gave her a rude welcome to the promotion. Moras defeated the Georgian via TKO in the third round.
Jojua, however, returned to the win column with a stunning submission win over Diana Belbita. Hoping to continue her winning momentum, the 26-year-old fought rising prospect Miranda Maverick in her third promotional outing at UFC 254.
Maverick unleashed nasty punches on Jojua in the first round that left her with a brutal nose cut. Ringside doctors deemed 'She Wolf' unfit to continue.
1-2 in the UFC, Liana Jojua's overall professional MMA record stands at 8-4. Although she trained Muay Thai early in her career, Jojua eventually established a reputation for being a lethal submission artist. Six of her eight wins have come by way of submission, with five of them being armbars.
According to Cageside Press, Jojua developed an interest in the sport after watching the fights of women's MMA pioneer Gina Carano.
When is Liana Jojua's next fight?
Liana Jojua is expected to challenge Cortney Casey at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodriguez on November 13 later this year. The duo were first scheduled to lock horns in August. However, Jojua was forced to withdraw from the bout due to visa issues.
"My fight for august 22nd has been postponed due to visa issues and will be soon announced for new date. Wait for the news," Jojua wrote on Instagram.