Unbeaten Ukrainian Lena “Hunter” Ovchynnikova has signed on as the first contracted female fighter to the upstart Super Fight League promotion. Ovchynnikova is set to face off against Serbia’s Sanja Sučević, a fellow kickboxer, at Super Fight League 1 on March 11th in Mumbai, India.
Ovchynnikova returns to mixed martial arts action for the first time since suffering a hand injury in a kickboxing match this past year. She is also booked to face Strikeforce veteran Maiju “Mai” Kujala on April 14th. Sučević has won two of her three MMA bouts and was victorious in December.
Ovchynnikova (8-0-0) has gradually built up a reputation as a prospect to watch for in her native Ukraine. Splitting time between kickboxing and MMA, Ovchynnikova has captured multiple titles in both sports. The 24-year-old has submitted six of her eight MMA opponents with armbars despite a background as a striker only. She recently made the drop down to the flyweight division and faces her toughest test to date in the April bout with Kujala in Finland. Before that, however, Ovchynnikova will first look for her ninth win in her debut for the Super Fight League.
Sučević (2-1-0) has less experience in MMA than Ovchynnikova, but like her opponent, she too has a strong background in Muay Thai and K-1 rules kickboxing matches. Sučević earned a first-round TKO victory in her November 2010 debut before suffering her lone defeat against then-unbeaten Spanish prospect Karla Benitez five months later. In her most recent fight, Sučević dominated Danijela Peričić through one round before forcing Peričić to submit to strikes from mount early in round two. She now aims to upset the unbeaten Ovchynnikova in less than two weeks.
Super Fight League 1 takes place on March 11th at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai, India.
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