Oléna "Lena" Serhíyivna Ovchýnnikova (Ukrainian: Оле́на "Ле́на" Сергі́ївна Овчи́ннікова; 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.

Lena Ovchynnikova
BornOléna Serhíyivna Ovchýnnikova
(1987-04-22) April 22, 1987 (age 37)
Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Native nameЛе́на Овчи́ннікова
Other namesHunter
NationalityUkraine Ukrainian
Height1.67 m (5 ft 5+12 in)
Weight56.7 kg (125 lb; 8.93 st)
DivisionFeatherweight
StyleKickboxing, Muay Thai
Fighting out ofLviv, Ukraine
TeamUnion Gym
TrainerViktor Lazurko
Years active2006-present
Kickboxing record
Total20
Wins14
Losses6
By knockout2
Draws0
Mixed martial arts record
Total19
Wins12
By knockout1
By submission8
By decision3
Losses6
By knockout2
By submission2
By decision2
No contests1
Last updated on: January 25, 2014
Lena Ovchynnikova
Medal record
Representing  Ukraine
Women's Kickboxing
ISKA Amateur European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 (Oriental)
Silver medal – second place 2007 (Full contact)
WPKA Amateur World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 (Low kick)
Women's Muay Thai
ISKA Amateur European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007
ISKA European Cup
Silver medal – second place 2008
IFMA Ukrainian Championships
Silver medal – second place Odessa 2010

She is the reigning WBC Muaythai World Featherweight champion[1] and the former world flyweight champion.

Career

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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.[2][3] 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[4] but Sitzes withdrew for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Li Xiao in a non-title fight. She defeated Li by unanimous decision.[5]

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.[6][7] 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.[8]

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.[9] She then lost to Joanne Calderwood by unanimous decision at SFL 3 in New Delhi on May 6, 2012 in her next outing.[10] 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.[11] Her opponent was later changed to Kealani Vanderleest in a non-title affair, however, and Ovchynnikova defeated her by unanimous decision.[12] 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[13][14] but was pulled from the card due to problems between shoot boxing and Ovchynnikova's team and was replaced by Lisa Ward.[15][16] 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[17] but was changed to Xifeng Tang.[18] She lost by UD.[19]

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.[20] 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.[21][22]

On January 25, 2014, she lost a split decision to Xiong Jingnan at Kunlun Fight 1 in Pattaya, Thailand.[23]

Bellator MMA

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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.[24]

Ovchynnikova was expected to face Denise Kielholtz in the co-main event of Bellator 196 in Budapest, Hungary on April 6, 2018.[25] However, the fight did not happen.

Ovchynnikova was expected to face Kyra Batara in a strawweight bout at Bellator 261 on June 25, 2021.[26] However, the bout was cancelled the week of the event with one of Batara's corner testing positive for COVID-19.[27][28]

Championships and awards

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Kickboxing

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  • Boxxtomoi
    • 2015 Boxxtomoi Muaythai Women's Championship [29]
  • World Boxing Council Muaythai
    • 2014 WBC Muaythai World Flyweight Championship [30]
    • 2019 WBC Muaythai World Featherweight Championship
  • International Federation of Muaythai Amateur
    • 2010 IFMA Ukrainian Championships Silver Medalist  
  • 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  
    • 2007 ISKA Amateur European Championships Muay Thai Gold Medalist  
    • 2007 ISKA Amateur European Championships Full Contact Silver Medalist  
    • 2008 ISKA European Cup Muay Thai Silver Medalist  
    • 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  

Mixed martial arts record

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Professional record breakdown
19 matches 12 wins 6 losses
By knockout 1 2
By submission 8 2
By decision 3 2
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 12–6 (1) Kate Jackson TKO (doctor stoppage) Bellator 223 June 22, 2019 1 4:20 London, England
Loss 12–5 (1) Alejandra Lara Submission (rear-naked choke) Bellator 190 December 9, 2017 3 4:09 Florence, Italy
Win 12–4 (1) Helen Harper TKO (corner stoppage) Bellator 177 April 14, 2017 2 5:00 Budapest, Hungary
Win 11–4 (1) Karla Benitez Decision (unanimous) Bellator 164 November 10, 2016 3 5:00 Tel Aviv, Israel
NC 10–4 (1) Mara Romero Borella NC (overturned by WMMAF) WMMAF 2016 May 13, 2016 3 5:00 Lviv, Ukraine Originally a split decision win for Ovchynnikova; overturned later by WMMAF after review.
Loss 10–4 Rebecca Ruth Decision (unanimous) Bellator 150 February 26, 2016 3 5:00 Mulvane, Kansas, United States
Win 10–3 Svetlana Gotsyk Submission (rear-naked choke) WMMAF: World MMA Championship, Day 3 October 18, 2014 3 3:40 Lviv, Ukraine
Loss 9–3 Lily Kazak TKO (punch) Oplot Challenge 92 December 14, 2013 2 0:21 Kharkiv, Ukraine
Win 9–2 Fathia Mostafa Submission (guillotine choke) Super Fight League 16 April 26, 2013 1 3:36 Mumbai, India
Loss 8–2 Joanne Calderwood Decision (unanimous) Super Fight League 3 May 6, 2012 3 5:00 New Delhi, India
Loss 8–1 Sanja Sučević Submission (rear-naked choke) Super Fight League 1 March 11, 2012 2 2:28 Mumbai, India Strawweight bout.
Win 8–0 Eugenia Kostina Submission (armbar) PAMAU: President's Cup September 3, 2011 1 3:26 Mariupol, Ukraine
Win 7–0 Lyudmyla Pylypchak Submission (armbar) Independence Cup 2011 August 19, 2011 3 1:01 Lviv, Ukraine
Win 6–0 Anna Smirnova Submission (armbar) International Gala Festival August 23, 2009 1 4:12 Truskavets, Ukraine
Win 5–0 Alina Premilou Submission (armbar) Ultimate Cage Fighters Championship: 20,000 Dollar Tournament April 4, 2009 1 4:01 Vienna, Austria
Win 4–0 Olga Prybulska Submission (armbar) International Gala Festival July 7, 2008 2 2:20 Gomel, Belarus
Win 3–0 Olga Prybulska Decision (unanimous) ISKA: Europe Cup 2008 April 12, 2008 3 5:00 Kyiv, Ukraine
Win 2–0 Anna Zubritska Submission (armbar) ISKA: Union Cup 2007 September 14, 2007 3 4:50 Kyiv, Ukraine
Win 1–0 Svetlana Svetlana Decision (unanimous) International Gala Festival September 9, 2006 3 5:00 Kyiv, Ukraine {{small}Flyweight debut.}}

[31]

Kickboxing record

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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
Wins WBC Muaythai Featherweight Championship.
2016-06-11 Win   Chara Dimitroula WKF Santorini Cup 2016 Santorini, Greece Decision 5 3:00 13-6
Wins WKF Super Bantamweight Women's Championship.
2015-04-05 Win   Patrizia Gibelli Lion Belt 5 France Decision 5 3:00 12-6
Wins Boxxtomoi Muaythai Women's Championship.
2014-07-19 Win   Ruth Ashdown WCK Muay Thai: Hot Summer Fights 2014 Cabazon, California USA Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 11-6
Win WBC Muaythai Women's World Flyweight title.
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
Wins the IKKC Women's World Super Bantamweight Muay Thai Championship.
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
For the WKA Women's World Championship.
2010-04-17 Win   Elke Beinwachs Vienna, Austria KO (right body kick) 3 2:00
Wins the WKF Women's World Super Bantamweight (-56.4 kg/124 lb) Muay Thai Championship.
2009-12-13 Loss   Joanna Gutowska Runda Zero Fight Night Tarczyn, Poland Decision 3 3:00
2009-00-00 Win   Decision
Wins the ISKA Women's World Super Bantamweight (56.4 kg/124 lb) Oriental Championship.
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 [32] Velletri, Italy Decision 4 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

Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "WBC Muaythai Female Rankings - April 2020". wbcmuaythai.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  2. ^ "SACHSEN FERNSEHEN - Das lokale Nachrichtenportal für Sachsen". Dresden-fernsehen.de. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  3. ^ "FIGHTNIGHT • Steko's". Stekos-fight-night.de. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  4. ^ "Muay Thai Authority: Stacked fight card for WCK Muay Thai December 18th in China". 2010-12-07. Archived from the original on 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ "Muay Thai Authority: Results for WCK Muay Thai China Day 1". 2010-12-18. Archived from the original on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ "Tiffany Van Soest Wins her Kickboxing Match in Vegas | Wombat Sports". Wombatsports.wordpress.com. 2011-10-24. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  7. ^ Jim Wyatt (25 October 2011). "Tiffany Van Soest defeats Ukrainian Champion Lena Ovchynnikova". Sportofboxing.com. Archived from the original on 2013-07-20. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  8. ^ "Coming off a Huge Win, Tiffany Van Soest Set for World Title Match in July | Wombat Muai Thai/Boxing News". Wombatboxing.wordpress.com. 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  9. ^ "Sanja Sučević Submits Lena Ovchynnikova In SFL 1 Co-Feature". MMARising.com. 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  10. ^ "Joanne Calderwood Dominates Lena Ovchynnikova At SFL 3". MMARising.com. 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  11. ^ "August 18, 2012 Championship Muay Thai at PALA CA : WCK Muay Thai". Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^ "Muay Thai Authority: Results and Recap: WCK Muay Thai "Nakamoto vs. Kitchen"". 2012-08-19. Archived from the original on 2012-08-22. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ^ "LiverKick". LiverKick.com. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  14. ^ "2012 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup Quarterfinals Announced". MMARising.com. 2012-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  15. ^ "LiverKick". LiverKick.com. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  16. ^ "Lisa Ellis Replaces Lena Ovchynnikova In 2012 SB Girls S-Cup". MMARising.com. 2012-08-24. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  17. ^ "WCK Muay Thai: Matter Pride set for November 11th in Las Vegas ~ Muay Thai Authority". 2012-10-04. Archived from the original on 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ "Updated fight card for WCK Muay Thai: Matter of Pride ~ Muay Thai Authority". 2012-11-08. Archived from the original on 2014-03-12. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. ^ "Results and Recap: Matter of Pride ~ Muay Thai Authority". 2012-11-14. Archived from the original on 2012-11-29. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  20. ^ "Lena Ovchynnikova Submits Fathia Mostafa At SFL 16 In India". MMARising.com. 2013-04-26. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  21. ^ "Results and Recap for WCK Muay Thai "Hot Summer Fights", Nakamoto remains undefeated ~ Muay Thai Authority". 2013-08-25. Archived from the original on 2013-08-31. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ^ "Ferocious best describes the glut of exciting Muay Thai fights at Pechanga : WCK Muay Thai". Archived from the original on 2013-09-14. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ "QR クイーン・オブ・ザ・リング:理解出来ないルールのデタラメ運営 レナ・オフチニコワ VS シュォン・ジンナン KUNLUN FIGHT 動画 ムエタイ女子 - livedoor Blog(ブログ)". Qr.livedoor.biz. 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  24. ^ Huffman, Justin (2016-02-26). "Bellator: Lena Ovchynnikova Proud to be First Flyweight Woman on Main Card". Cage Pages. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  25. ^ Anderson, Jay (2018-02-09). "Bellator 196 Co-Main Event Set: Lena Ovchynnikova vs. Denise Kielholtz". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  26. ^ "Bellator 261 adds Tim Johnson vs. Valentin Moldavsky interim title headliner, Jury vs. Outlaw". MMA Junkie. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  27. ^ @BellatorPR (June 22, 2021). "Lena vs. Batara scrapped" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  28. ^ @KyraBatara (June 22, 2021). "Lena vs. Batara Covid" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  29. ^ "Wendy ANNONAY et Kamel MEZATNI conservent leur ceinture WBC | Muaythaitv". Fr.muaythaitv.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  30. ^ "WCK Muay Thai: Hot Summer Fights 2014 Results ~ Muay Thai Authority". 2014-07-20. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2017-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  31. ^ Sherdog.com. "Lena Ovchynnikova". Sherdog. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  32. ^ "Elena Ovchinnikova (Ukraine) - Nevenka Mikulic (Croatia) 54 kg". YouTube. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
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