After an illness forced her out of a planned bout in May, strawweight Nina “The Strina” Ansaroff returns to the Octagon on January 2, 2016 at UFC 195: “Lawler vs Condit” in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ansaroff faces off against TUF 20 member Justine Kish, who also returns following a lengthy hiatus.
The Ansaroff-Kish bout was initially reported on UFC Tonight, and the date and location were subsequently clarified by the UFC’s Thomas Gerbasi. Ansaroff was pulled from the UFC 187 card on mere hours’ notice due to influenza. Kish sustained a knee injury during TUF 20 and did not compete.
Four-time Girls S-Cup winner and reigning Shoot Boxing Women’s Flyweight Champion Rena Kubota is set to make her long-awaited MMA debut next month during the Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix in Saitama, Japan. Kubota battles fellow kickboxer and MMA debutant Jleana Valentino in a 51kg bout.
TUF 18 winner Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña entered the UFC women’s bantamweight title picture with her biggest victory to date on October 3rd at UFC 192: “Cormier vs Gustafsson” in Houston, Texas. Peña defeated Jessica “Evil” Eye and vaulted up the 135-pound women’s ranks.