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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 08: (R-L) Yana Kunitskaya of Russia kicks Julija Stoliarenko of Lithuania in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 08, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 08: (R-L) Yana Kunitskaya of Russia kicks Julija Stoliarenko of Lithuania in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 08, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
UFC 264 is one of the biggest events of 2021. Featuring a main event bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, it also will see a bantamweight bout between two women who might challenge Amanda Nunes with a win. Yana Kunitskaya will take on Irene Aldana at UFC 264 in the T-Mobile Arena.
Kunitskaya is a Russian fighter who is known for her knockout power. The former Invicta FC bantamweight champion, Kunitskaya, has fought for UFC gold before. She lost in a fight against Cris Cyborg for the featherweight belt in her UFC debut.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 05: Thiago Santos of Brazil poses on the scale during the UFC 235 weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena on July 5, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
However, she is not the only fighter in her house as she is engaged to another successful UFC fighter in Thiago Santos. The pair got engaged in 2020 and have been going from strength to strength ever since. Santos, currently competing in the light heavyweight division, sits at number four in the divisional rankings.
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He fought for the light heavyweight belt against Jon Jones in 2019, losing a close decision. That also resulted in him going on a losing skid as he lost successive fights against Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic. Meanwhile, Kunitskaya is doing sightly better in the women’s bantamweight division.
Yana Kunitskaya and her prospects in the women’s bantamweight division
“Foxy”, currently on a two-fight winning streak, sits at number five in the official UFC rankings for the women’s bantamweight division, while her opponent, Aldana, sits at four. The winner of this fight will not only improve their chances of fighting for the belt, but a finish here could also guarantee a title shot.
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The champion, Amanda Nunes, has fought and beaten two out of the three women in the top three of the rankings. Germaine de Randamie and Holly Holm have both lost to her. While Aspen Ladd might have the best shot at getting the belt, she might drop down if Kunitskaya or Aldana put in an amazing performance. Hence, it is all up for grabs at UFC 264.
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Do you think anyone can beat Amanda Nunes in the near future?
Read More: All You Need to Know About Amanda Nunes and Her Wife, Nina Ansaroff
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