Lena Ovchynnikova

Oléna "Lena" Serhíyivna Ovchýnnikova (; born April 22, 1987) is a Ukrainian kickboxer and mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division in kickboxing and the flyweight division in MMA.

She is the reigning WBC Muaythai World Featherweight champion and the former world flyweight champion.

Career Lena Ovchynnikova came to prominence as an amateur kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, medaling at various national, European and world championships. She became a world champion in the professional ranks for the first time in 2009 when she won the ISKA Women's World Super Bantamweight (56.4 kg/124 lb) Oriental Championship and the following year, she added two more world titles to her mantelpiece by winning the World Kickboxing Federation (WKF) Women's World Super Bantamweight (-56.4 kg/124 lb) belt under both kickboxing and Muay Thai rules.

She challenged Christine Theiss for her WKA world title in Dresden, Germany on November 20, 2010, losing by sixth round knockout. Ovchynnikova was then set to fight Jeri Sitzes in a match for the WBC Muaythai Women's International Bantamweight (-53.5 kg/118 lb) title in Haikou, China on December 18, 2010 but Sitzes withdrew for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Li Xiao in a non-title fight. She defeated Li by unanimous decision.

Taking the place of Cong Wang who pulled out of the fight, Ovchynnikova faced professional debutant Tiffany van Soest in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on October 22, 2011, and lost by technical knockout after retiring in her corner with a broken hand at the end of round two. Following this fight, Ovchynnikova forced herself to use only her left hand during rehabilitation which later made her ambidextrous. The pair were scheduled to rematch on July 21, 2012, in Croatia, but it never came to fruition.

Having amassed a perfect 8-0 record in mixed martial arts, Ovchynnikova signed with the Indian-based Super Fight League in 2012. She tasted defeat for the first time as a mixed martial artist in her promotional debut as she submitted to a rear-naked choke from Sanja Sučević in round two at SFL 1 in Mumbai on March 11, 2012. She then lost to Joanne Calderwood by unanimous decision at SFL 3 in New Delhi on May 6, 2012 in her next outing. Returning to Muay Thai, Ovchynnikova was expected to fight Emily Bearden for the IKF women's world bantamweight (-55.4 kg/122 lb) title at WCK Muay Thai: Nakamoto vs. Kitchen in Pala, California, US on August 18, 2012. Her opponent was later changed to Kealani Vanderleest in a non-title affair, however, and Ovchynnikova defeated her by unanimous decision. She was then set to compete in the Shoot Boxing World Tournament Girls S-Cup 2012 in Tokyo, Japan on August 25, 2012 and face Ham Seo-Hee in the quarter-finals but was pulled from the card due to problems between shoot boxing and Ovchynnikova's team and was replaced by Lisa Ward. She represented the WCK Muay Thai promotion's team against a squad of Chinese fighters from Wu Lin Feng at WCK Muay Thai: Matter of Pride in Las Vegas on November 11, 2012. Initially, her opponent was Tang Jin but was changed to Xifeng Tang. She lost by UD.

In her return to SFL, Ovchynnikova beat Fathia Mostafa via submission due to a guillotine choke at SFL 16 in Mumbai on April 26, 2013. Back in the Muay Thai ring, she defeated Emily Bearden by UD to be crowned the International Karate Kickboxing Council (IKKC) Women's World Super Bantamweight Muay Thai Champion at WCK Muay Thai: Hot Summer Fights in Temecula, California, US.

On January 25, 2014, she lost a split decision to Xiong Jingnan at Kunlun Fight 1 in Pattaya, Thailand.

Bellator MMA

Lena Ovchynnikova signed with Bellator MMA in 2016, going 2-2 in her first four fights in the promotion. Notably, she was the first-ever female flyweight to appear on a main card for the promotion.

Ovchynnikova was expected to face Denise Kielholtz in the co-main event of Bellator 196 in Budapest, Hungary on April 6, 2018. However, the fight did not happen.

Ovchynnikova was expected to face Kyra Batara in a strawweight bout at Bellator 261 on June 25, 2021. However, the bout was cancelled the week of the event with one of Batara's corner testing positive for COVID-19.

Championships and awards

Kickboxing Boxxtomoi 2015 Boxxtomoi Muaythai Women's Championship World Boxing Council Muaythai 2014 WBC Muaythai World Flyweight Championship 2019 WBC Muaythai World Featherweight Championship International Federation of Muaythai Amateur 2010 IFMA Ukrainian Championships Silver Medalist Silver International Karate Kickboxing Council IKKC Women's World Super Bantamweight Muay Thai Championship (One time) International Sport Karate Association 2007 ISKA Amateur European Championships Oriental Gold Medalist Gold 2007 ISKA Amateur European Championships Muay Thai Gold Medalist Gold 2007 ISKA Amateur European Championships Full Contact Silver Medalist Silver 2008 ISKA European Cup Muay Thai Silver Medalist Silver ISKA Women's World Super Bantamweight (56.4 kg/124 lb) Oriental Championship (One time) World Kickboxing Association WKA Amateur Women's World Championship (One time) World Kickboxing Federation WKF Women's World Super Bantamweight (-56.4 kg/124 lb) K-1 Championship (Two times) WKF Women's World Super Bantamweight (-56.4 kg/124 lb) Muay Thai Championship (One time) World Pan-Amateur Kickboxing Association 2011 WPKA Amateur World Championships Low Kick Gold Medalist Gold

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Kate Jackson TKO (doctor stoppage) Bellator 223

London, England Loss

Alejandra Lara Submission (rear-naked choke) Bellator 190

Florence, Italy Win

Helen Harper TKO (corner stoppage) Bellator 177

Budapest, Hungary Win

Karla Benitez Decision (unanimous) Bellator 164

Tel Aviv, Israel NC

Mara Romero Borella NC (overturned by WMMAF) WMMAF 2016

Lviv, Ukraine Loss

Rebecca Ruth Decision (unanimous) Bellator 150

Mulvane, Kansas, United States Win

Svetlana Gotsyk Submission (rear-naked choke) WMMAF: World MMA Championship, Day 3

Lviv, Ukraine Loss

Lily Kazak TKO (punch) Oplot Challenge 92

Kharkiv, Ukraine Win

Fathia Mostafa Submission (guillotine choke) Super Fight League 16

Mumbai, India Loss

Joanne Calderwood Decision (unanimous) Super Fight League 3

New Delhi, India Loss

Sanja Sučević Submission (rear-naked choke) Super Fight League 1

Mumbai, India Win

Eugenia Kostina Submission (armbar) PAMAU: President's Cup

Mariupol, Ukraine Win

Lyudmyla Pylypchak Submission (armbar) Independence Cup 2011

Lviv, Ukraine Win

Anna Smirnova Submission (armbar) International Gala Festival

Truskavets, Ukraine Win

Alina Premilou Submission (armbar) Ultimate Cage Fighters Championship: 20,000 Dollar Tournament

Vienna, Austria Win

Olga Prybulska Submission (armbar) International Gala Festival

Gomel, Belarus Win

Olga Prybulska Decision (unanimous) ISKA: Europe Cup 2008

Kyiv, Ukraine Win

Anna Zubritska Submission (armbar) ISKA: Union Cup 2007

Kyiv, Ukraine Win

Svetlana Svetlana Decision (unanimous) International Gala Festival

Kyiv, Ukraine Kickboxing record 14 wins (? KOs), 6 losses, 0 draws Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record 2019-12-07 Win Cindy Silvestre LVIV Open Cup Lviv, Ukraine Decision 5 3:00 14-6 2016-06-11 Win Chara Dimitroula WKF Santorini Cup 2016 Santorini, Greece Decision 5 3:00 13-6 2015-04-05 Win Patrizia Gibelli Lion Belt 5 France Decision 5 3:00 12-6 2014-07-19 Win Ruth Ashdown WCK Muay Thai: Hot Summer Fights 2014 Cabazon, California USA Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 11-6 2014-06-28 Loss Sylwia Juśkiewicz Fight Exclusive Night 3 Wrocław, Poland Decision 3 3:00 10-6 2014-01-25 Loss Xiong Jingnan Kunlun Fight 1 Pattaya, Thailand Decision (split) 3 3:00 10-5 2013-09-07 Win Natalia Leskiv Gas Station Fight Club Lviv, Ukraine KO 1 10-4 2013-08-24 Win Emily Bearden WCK Muay Thai: Hot Summer Fights Temecula, California, USA Decision 5 3:00 9-4 2012-11-11 Loss Tang Jin WCK Muay Thai: Matter of Pride Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Decision (unanimous) 3 5:00 8-4 2012-08-18 Win Kealani Vanderleest WCK Muay Thai: Nakamoto vs. Kitchen Pala, California, USA Decision (unanimous) 4 3:00 2011-10-22 Loss Tiffany van Soest WCK Muay Thai Las Vegas, Nevada, USA TKO (broken hand) 2 3:00 2010-12-18 Win Li Xiao WCK Muay Thai: Chinese Grand Prix 2010 (Day 1) Haikou, China Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 2010-11-20 Loss Christine Theiss Steko's Fight Night Dresden, Germany KO 6 2010-04-17 Win Elke Beinwachs Vienna, Austria KO (right body kick) 3 2:00 2009-12-13 Loss Joanna Gutowska Runda Zero Fight Night Tarczyn, Poland Decision 3 3:00 2009-00-00 Win Decision 0000-00-00 Win Ting Ting Jiang WCK Muay Thai Haikou, China

Amateur kickboxing record Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time 2010-05-27 Win Nevenka Mikulić I.F.M.A. European Muaythai Championships 2010 –54 kg Velletri, Italy Decision4 2:00 2010-04-10 Draw Monika Porażyńska Kalisz Mayor's Cup Kalisz, Poland Draw 3 2:00 2010-02-00 Win Tarnavskaya 2010 IFMA Ukrainian Championships, Quarter Finals Odessa, Ukraine TKO 2 2009-11-21 Win Wojas Marzena Kalisz Mayor's Cup Kalisz, Poland Decision 3 2:00 2009-05-24 Loss Alena Holá WAKO World Cup 2009, Semi Finals Hungary Decision 2009-00-00 Loss Joanna Gutowska Latvia Open 2009 Latvia TKO (right hook) 1

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