Luana Santos Record: 11-2-0

UFC run

Santos made an instant statement in her August 2023 debut, stopping Juliana Miller with first-round punches. She followed that December with a unanimous-decision win over the experienced Stephanie Egger, then delivered one of her most impressive performances in July 2024, submitting Mariya Agapova by first-round rear-naked choke. Her unbeaten UFC start ended in August 2024 at UFC 305, where Casey O'Neill outpointed her over three rounds in a unanimous decision. Santos answered the setback in style: a second-round Americana submission of Tainara Lisboa in May 2025, then a unanimous-decision win over Melissa Croden in December 2025. Next she faces veteran Karol Rosa in June 2026.

Fighting style

Santos is a grappling-first fighter whose judo and jiu-jitsu pedigree shows up in the numbers: five of her ten wins have come by submission, with one knockout and four decisions for a 60 percent finish rate. She excels at closing distance, scoring takedowns and trips off the clinch, and advancing position to attack chokes and joint locks — the Americana on Lisboa and the rear-naked choke on Agapova are showcase examples of her versatility on the mat. Her striking has steadily improved and is functional enough to set up her entries, though both of her losses came by decision against opponents who could keep the fight standing and out of her preferred grappling exchanges, marking the cleanest path to giving her trouble.

Career highlights

• Decorated judoka — a black belt with national and Pan-American honors whose throwing base anchors her elite MMA grappling.
• Submission of Mariya Agapova — a first-round rear-naked choke of Mariya Agapova stood out as a high-level showcase of her ground game.
• 60 percent finish rate — five submission wins across just ten victories underline a finishing instinct rare among rising contenders.