Yana Santos and Luana Santos are targeted to meet at UFC Vegas 123 on October 31. The matchup would pit two strawweight or women's division contenders against each other on the Halloween card.
Two fighters sharing a surname but little else could collide on Halloween night, as Yana Santos and Luana Santos are being targeted for a women's bantamweight bout at UFC Vegas 123 on October 31. The matchup has not been officially confirmed, and should be treated as a report still working toward finalization.
Yana Santos, the 36-year-old Russian representing American Top Team, carries a 17-8 record and sits sixth in the women's bantamweight rankings. She is one of the division's more active strikers, landing 4.41 significant strikes per minute at a sharp 57 percent accuracy. Standing five-foot-six with a 68-inch reach, she fights out of an orthodox stance and has built her reputation primarily on the feet.
Her prospective opponent, Luana Santos, arrives with considerable momentum behind her. The 26-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of 011 MMA Team, holds an 11-2 record and is ranked seventh in the division — one spot below Yana. At five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach, she also fights orthodox, but her statistical profile tells a contrasting story. Luana averages 2.14 takedowns per 15 minutes and one submission attempt per 15 minutes, marking her as a grappling-heavy threat compared to the striker she would be across from.
Why it matters
- A ranked sixth versus seventh matchup would have direct implications for the top five of the women's bantamweight division.
- The stylistic contrast — Yana's volume striking against Luana's grappling output — sets up a classic pressure test for both women.
- At 36, Yana faces a younger challenger a decade her junior, adding a generational element to the divisional stakes.
- Halloween night on the UFC Vegas calendar typically draws a large domestic audience, raising the profile of every fight on the card.
