Russian combat siren Yana Kunitskaya set to be latest ‘UFC mom’ as she announces pregnancy with partner Thiago Santos

UFC queen Yana Kunitskaya has announced that she is expecting a child with her partner, former light heavyweight title challenger Thiago Santos, just a month after her most recent performance in the Octagon.

Kunitskaya, 31, revealed on social media that she was expecting and told fans she won't be back in the cage until some time in 2022 after confirming that she is expecting her first child with fiance Santos, to whom she has been engaged since December of last year.

The fight vixen announced the news with a photograph of her holding a watermelon while holding her belly, writing: "Did I eat top much watermelon? Good job [Thiago Santos]. I will be back in Octagon 2022."

Santos, who lost a razor-thin split decision to Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title in July 2019, responded to the announcement with a sequence of emojis.

The announcement comes little more than a month since Kunitskaya was last seen competing in the UFC, losing by first-round TKO to Irene Aldana in a fight in which she broke her nose.

The Russian bantamweight has compiled a 14-6 (1) record in her professional career. Prior to her loss to Aldana, the Murmansk native had won four of her previous five fights in the Octagon.

The news will mean that Kunitskaya will become the latest addition to the 'UFC mom' ranks in the world's leading mixed martial arts organization, joining the likes of Michelle Waterson, Mackenzie Dern, Amanda and Nina Nunes and Sara McMann as mothers who compete inside the UFC cage.

Of course, Kunitskaya's child from a previous relationship meaning that she already is technically a 'UFC mom'.

But her pregnancy with Brazilian fight veteran Santos means that they will be among the first 'UFC mom and dads' to have both fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.