Brazilian UFC Star Luana Santos Flexes More Than Just Fighting Skills in Latest UFC Performance Institute Photoshoot
Brazilian bantamweight Luana Santos has been turning heads inside the octagon with her submission ability and grappling acumen, but recently she’s been giving fans something equally eye-catching to talk about – a photoshoot at the UFC Performance Institute. The 25-year-old prospect showed off more than just her fighting credentials when she posed for photographs in her UFC Venum kit at the facility, with the shoot captured by photographer Juan Cardenas, a veteran UFC media specialist who’s been documenting fighter content for years.
Brazilian UFC Star Luana Santos Flexes Curves in Latest UFC Performance Institute Photoshoot
Cardenas, who operates under the artistic pseudonym Desautomatas, has carved out a niche in the combat sports world, bringing an artistic flair to his UFC fighter portfolio work.
The photoshoot itself represents the kind of behind-the-scenes content the UFC increasingly leverages to build fighter brands and engage audiences across social media platforms. Santos has been actively promoting her upcoming fight through various content formats, and these professional photographs from Cardenas provide the polished imagery that fighters often use to maintain visibility between bouts.
UFC Venum, the official outfitter of the promotion, regularly features athletes in branded apparel for promotional content, and Santos’ session appears to be part of that broader media strategy ahead of her November matchup.
Speaking of that upcoming fight, Santos finds herself in a strong position. Santos vs. Croden has been moved from UFC Vegas 111 on November 8th to UFC Vegas 112 on December 13th, 2025. Santos scheduled to face Canadian Melissa Croden in a women’s bantamweight contest after her original opponent Daria Zheleznyakova was pulled from the card due to undisclosed reasons. The matchup gives Santos a favorable scenario as Croden is 1-0 in the UFC after making her debut just recently in October, whereas Santos brings a 9-2 professional record with four wins in her past five fights.
Santos’ career trajectory has been nothing short of impressive, particularly given her youth and relative inexperience in the sport’s highest level. The Brazilian is ranked number 15 in the women’s bantamweight division, having clawed her way into the rankings through a combination of technical grappling and an increasingly effective striking game. Her last bout came in May 2025 against Tainara Lisboa at UFC Fight Night 256, where she secured a second-round submission victory via keylock, a finish that earned her distinction as the first female fighter in UFC history to win via that particular submission technique.
At 5’6″ (168 cm) with a 68-inch reach, Santos competes in a division where her physical attributes are relatively average, yet her grappling credentials give her a notable edge over several competitors. She holds a judo black belt and comes from a jiu-jitsu background, though early in her UFC career critics questioned whether her ground game had reached the elite level required to consistently compete at the sport’s highest tier. Her recent wins have addressed those concerns.
The path forward likely involves Santos remaining at bantamweight rather than cutting back down to flyweight, where she initially made her UFC debut. She’s mentioned in previous interviews that staying at 135 pounds makes logistical sense given her body’s natural weight and that continuing to attempt aggressive weight cuts to 125 pounds may not be sustainable long-term for someone who’s only 25 years old. At the rate she’s progressing and with the ranking she’s already achieved, a few more high-profile wins at bantamweight could put her in striking distance of a title shot.
