Yana Santos has dramatically reversed course after allegations about how the UFC handles weight-cutting violations.
The bantamweight contender sparked controversy following UFC 320 when she accused the promotion of threatening her career if she refused to compete against opponents who failed to make the contracted weight limit.
Her frustration reached a boiling point after Macy Chiasson weighed in at 137.5 pounds—1.5 pounds over the bantamweight limit—marking the fourth time in seven contests that Santos faced someone who missed weight.
In the immediate aftermath, Santos didn’t hold back her criticism. She revealed to sources that the organization had previously made its position crystal clear when she considered declining a matchup against an overweight opponent.
“A couple of fights ago when my opponent missed a lot of weight and we were thinking should we take the fight or not, UFC made it very clear that the person who will be punished is me if I refuse,” Santos explained. “So I’m not getting paid, I have a chance to be cut and all these things.”
The veteran competitor pointed to historical precedent, noting that when Leslie Smith declined to compete against Aspen Ladd at UFC New Jersey in April 2018 after Ladd came in 1.8 pounds over, Smith was paid out and subsequently released from her contract.
“I saw this example so many times,” Santos said. “One girl missed weight, the other girl refused and they cut her. It’s multiple times, so I don’t want to be in this position. It’s so wrong, the person who did everything correct will be punished but it is what it is.”
Santos also expressed disappointment with how the situation unfolded at UFC 320, claiming she wasn’t informed about the weight miss beforehand and never received an apology. She had to personally approach Chiasson after their bout to suggest an apology was warranted.
“Before the fight, I respected her so much,” Santos said of Chiasson. “I liked her personality and all these things and I tried not to keep any negativity. When the fight’s finished, I try to keep negativity from my opponent. But it’s a little hard because I really think it’s wrong how she handled this situation.”
The 35-year-old advocated for significantly harsher penalties, arguing that the current 25 percent purse deduction creates insufficient deterrent when fighters can still earn performance bonuses and improve their rankings with victories.
However, Santos appears to have reconsidered her stance. In a recent social media post that seemed to drip with sarcasm, she wrote: “Just bought a nice piece of real estate back in Russia, thanks to all the fines my opponents paid for missing weight. So yeah, I’ve officially changed my mind, please, keep missing! Big thanks to @ufc for making dreams (and investments) come true.”
The sudden reversal raises questions about whether Santos faced additional pressure following her candid remarks about the promotion’s policies, or if she simply decided humor was the best approach to a frustrating situation that has repeatedly affected her career.
