After dominant win, Yana Kunitskaya defends Stoliarenko: I didn't fight a no-name

LAS VEGAS – Yana Kunitskaya beat Julija Stoliarenko with a unanimous decision Saturday on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Kunitskaya, who bounced back from a loss to Aspen Ladd this past December.

Result: Yana Kunitskaya def. Julija Stoliarenko via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Kunitskaya (13-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Stoliarenko (9-4-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stat: Kunitskaya landed a massive 82 percent of her total strikes and outlanded Stoliarenko 209-30.

Kunitskaya on the fight’s key moment

“I’m really happy and I want to thank Julija for taking this fight on short notice. For me, at this time, it wasn’t so important (an opponent’s) ranking. It would be good if my opponent was higher in the rankings, but I’m so happy that they were able to find a replacement. She is such a good fighter. She was a champion at Invicta. She was on a good winning streak. So I don’t think I fought a no-name.”

Kunitskaya on changing things up

“It’s been a hard time for everyone with this pandemic and a lot changed in my life. I was stuck in Brazil for six months, then I moved to Florida. It was hard, but I’m so happy with this opportunity and for being able to fight.”

Kunitskaya on what she wants next

“Everyone thinks I’m a striker because I started with striking, but I think I have a good potential in wrestling. I’ll try to improve in this part and be more well-rounded. Maybe in the future it will be my strongest area.”

To hear more from Kunitskaya, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.