Yana 'Foxy' Kunitskaya has shown off her battle scars after suffering a horrific broken nose against Marion Reneau at UFC Wichita, which is strikingly more apparent when juxtaposed against the fighter's usual photogenic approach.
Las Vegas-based Russian Kunitskaya, a top-10-ranked bantamweight with the promotion, fought through a stream of blood to claim a decision win over 'The Belizean Bruiser' on Saturday, the most significant victory of her MMA career so far.
Although many expressed concern for the glamorous but gutsy grappler, the fighter herself, and least of all her coach 'Sugar' Ray Sefo, seemed to share the same anxiety, instead reacting by poking fun at the injury.
Also on rt.com Busted up: Yana Kunitskaya suffers badly broken nose in UFC Wichita winKunitskaya, 29, shared an Instagram video from her hospital bed sporting the gruesome bruises and still wearing her blood-spattered fight top, while trainer Sefo struggles to stifle his laughter.
"So, Ray says that this is funny. He think this is funny," the fighter giggles from behind a surgical mask as Sefo enters the shot with a beaming grin and in fits of laughter. "Yeah, I don't think this is funny. This is nice coach. I'm ok guys," she sarcastically concludes.
Sefo, himself a former MMA fighter and six-time Muay Thai world champion, responds by shouting "you gotta laugh about it" off camera.
Ironically, Sefo was instrumental in inspiring Kunitskaya to victory despite blood streaming from her nose in the second round, steadying his charge before sending her out to cooly control and win the third and final round.
Later in the same Instagram story, Kunitskaya reassured fans that she was feeling positive about her battered nose, and that the UFC would "take care" of matters.
"Hey everyone asking about my nose. don't worry, UFC gonna take care of it. Flying back to Vegas next week. [It] will be better than before. Stay positive," she wrote.
The wound significantly altered Kunitskaya's photogenic appearance, which, along with her fight-ready figure has earned her the nickname 'Foxy'. The alterations are shockingly apparent in 'before and after' pictures of the fighter's face.
Kunitskaya however remained unfazed to win 29-28 on all of the judges scorecards, and will now surely be targeting the top 5 women's bantamweights, which includes Holly Holm and champion Amanda Nunes.
Her Instagram bio reads: "Breaking hearts, bones and stereotypes," and one of those was certainly accomplished in that fight.
Kunitskaya's video is reminiscent of another Russian MMA fighter, Bellator's Anastasia Yankova, who posted a similar photo of a mask of bruises and lacerations covering her face.
Yankova claimed she would feel "hypocritical" if she didn't show pictures of the beauty-snatching dangers lurking in the cage.
Also on rt.com ‘I’d feel hypocritical if I hid my face’: Anastasia Yankova talks about her post fight pictures