Katlyn Chookagian (born December 28, 1988) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

. She has formerly competed in the

Bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class is derived from bantam chickens. Bra ...

division and currently competes in the

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

division in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). As of January 24, 2023, she is #4 in the UFC women's flyweight rankings and as of December 13, 2022, she is #14 in UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.

Early life and education

Chookagian was born in

Quakertown, Pennsylvania Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2020, it had a population of 9,359. The borough is south of Allentown and Bethlehem and north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Va ...

, where she graduated from Quakertown Senior High School. Her first job was serving pizza at Q-Mart, and she also worked as a bartender in

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 ...

. Chookagian started training

karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...

when she was four years old, started fighting as an amateur in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

(MMA) in 2012, and became a professional in 2014. Her teammates and training partners include

Gordon Ryan Gordon Ryan (born July 8, 1995) is an American submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu 1st degree black belt, considered to be the greatest no–gi grappler of all time due to his accomplishments and dominance. Ryan is a Five–time ADCC W ...

Claudia Gadelha Claudia may refer to: People Ancient Romans *Any woman from the Roman Claudia gens * Claudia (vestal), a Vestal Virgin who protected her father Appius Claudius Pulcher in 143 BC *Claudia Augusta (63–63 AD), infant daughter of Nero by his second ...

Sijara Eubanks Sijara Jihan Eubanks (born April 27, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently fights in the women's bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Eubanks was born and raised in Springfi ...

, and the team captain

Frankie Edgar Frankie Edgar (born October 16, 1981) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Beginning his career in the Lightweight division, ...

. Chookagian holds a bachelor's degree in business management and marketing from

Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university with its main campuses in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University currently offers more than 100 degree programs to its students. In addition to its tw ...

. She is of Armenian descent.

Career

Mixed martial arts career

After going 7–0 as an amateur, Chookagian made her professional mixed martial arts debut against Rebecca Heintzman on June 28, 2014, at CFFC 37. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Chookagian made her second professional fight at World Series of Fighting 13: Moraes vs. Bollinger on September 13, 2014. Katlyn Chookagian secured a knockout triumph against 44-year-old Brigitte Narcise at 38 seconds of the final round in the flyweight category. Chookagian had her two subsequent bouts canceled. Against Allanna Jones in the Ring of Combat 49, and against Nohime Dennison at CFFC 45. Finally, on May 9, 2015, she fought twice in the same day, beating Linn Wennergren by unanimous decision, and Melinda Fábián by submission in the first round. She returned to the event where she made her debut, the CFFC, and held three more fights there. The results continued great: two belts, two victories by unanimous decision and one by knockout, due to a knee. Chookagian debuted in the UFC on July 13, 2016, at UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. Lineker against

Lauren Murphy Lauren Marie Murphy (born July 27, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Women's Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Murphy formerly competed for Invicta FC where she is ...

. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Chookagian next fought

Liz Carmouche Liz Carmouche (born February 19, 1984) is an American mixed martial arts fighter currently signed to Bellator MMA, where she is the current Bellator Women's Flyweight World Champion. Carmouche competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC ...

UFC 205 ''UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 12, 2016, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In what was described by UFC president Dana White as t ...

. She lost the bout via split decision. Chookagian faced Irene Aldana at

UFC 210 ''UFC 210: Cormier vs. Johnson 2 '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 8, 2017, at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Background The event was the second that the UFC has hosted in ...

on April 8, 2017. She won the fight by decision. Chookagian faced Mara Romero Borella on January 27, 2018, at UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Chookagian faced Alexis Davis on July 28, 2018, at UFC on Fox 30. She won the fight by unanimous decision. Chookagian faced

Jessica Eye Jessica Jo-Anne Eye (born July 27, 1986) is an American retired mixed martial artist. She competed as a flyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Early life Jessica Eye was born in Akron, Ohio to Randy Allen and Colleen Joanne Eye. ...

on December 8, 2018, at

UFC 231 ''UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 8, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background A UFC Featherweight Championship bout between ...

. She lost the fight by split decision. Chookagian faced

Joanne Calderwood Joanne Wood (; born 23 December 1986) is a Scottish professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai champion who competed in the Women's Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Biography Wood first started Muay Tha ...

on June 8, 2019, at

UFC 238 ''UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 8, 2019 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Ch ...

. She won the fight by unanimous decision. Chookagian faced Jennifer Maia on November 2, 2019, at UFC 244. At the weigh-ins, Maia weighted at 127.2 pounds, 1.2 pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit of 126. The bout proceed at catchweight and Maia was fined 25% of her purse and went to Chookagian. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Chookagian faced

Valentina Shevchenko Valentina Anatolievna Shevchenko (russian: Валентина Анатольевна Шевченко; born ) is a Kyrgyz and Peruvian professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter. She currently competes in the women's Flyw ...

for the UFC Flyweight Champion on February 8, 2020, at

UFC 247 ''UFC 247: Jones vs. Reyes'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 8, 2020 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Background A UFC Light Heavyweight Championship ...

. She lost the bout via technical knockout in round three. Chookagian faced

Antonina Shevchenko Antonina Shevchenko (russian: Антонина Анатольевна Шевченко; born ) is a Kyrgyzstani and Peruvian Muay Thai fighter and mixed martial artist currently competing in the flyweight division of the UFC. She is the older sis ...

May 30, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns. After dominating Shevchenko on the ground throughout the bout, Chookagian won the fight via unanimous decision. Chookagian faced

Jéssica Andrade Jéssica Fernanda da Costa Andrade (born September 25, 1991) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. Andrade is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she competes in the women's Flyweight division and is a ...

on October 18, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 180. She lost the fight via technical knockout in round one. Chookagian faced Cynthia Calvillo on November 21, 2020, at

UFC 255 ''UFC 255: Figueiredo vs. Perez'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 21, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...

. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Chookagian faced Viviane Araújo on May 15, 2021, at

UFC 262 ''UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 15, 2021 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Background A UFC Lightweight Championship b ...

. She won the bout via unanimous decision. Chookagian faced Jennifer Maia on January 15, 2022, at

UFC on ESPN 32 ''UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Chikadze'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 32 '' and ''UFC Vegas 46'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 15, 2022 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise ...

. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Despite winning three fights in a row, it was reported on January 16 that the bout with Jennifer Maia was the last fight on her contract. In a post-fight interview, Chookagian claimed that the UFC declined to negotiate a new contract with her prior to the Jennifer Maia bout, making her a free agent. As the first bout of her new contract, Chookagian faced

Amanda Ribas Amanda Ribas (born August 26, 1993) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Strawweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of August 15, 2022, she is #9 in the UFC women's strawweight ...

on May 14, 2022 at

UFC on ESPN 36 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. She won the back-and-forth fight by split decision. The win also earned Chookagian her first '' Fight of the Night'' bonus award. Chookagian was scheduled to face

Manon Fiorot Manon Fiorot (born February 17, 1990) is a French mixed martial artist, currently competing in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of February 27, 2022, she is #1 in the UFC women's flyweight rankings, and #11 ...

on September 3, 2022, at

UFC Fight Night 209 ''UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 209'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 67'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 3, 2022, at Accor Arena in Paris, Fra ...

. However, Chookagian withdrew due to unknown reasons in mid June and was replaced by former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion

. In turn, Andrade withdrew in mid-July due to undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Fiorot's original opponent: Chookagian. After Fiorot injured her knee, the bout was eventually shifted to take place at

UFC 280 ''UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 22, 2022, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background A UFC Lightweight Champions ...

on October 22, 2022. At the weigh-ins, Chookagian weighed in at 127.5 pounds, 1.5 pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit. Chookagian was fined 20% of her purse, which will go to her opponent Fiorot. She lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Championships and accomplishments

**Most unanimous decision wins in UFC Women's Flyweight division history (8) **Tied (

) for most wins in UFC Women's Flyweight division history (9) **Most significant strikes landed in UFC Women's Flyweight division history (790) **Longest total fight time in UFC Women's Flyweight division history (3:00:58) **Tied (

Gillian Robertson Gillian Elizabeth Robertson (born May 17, 1995) is a Canadian mixed martial artist (MMA). She currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Robertson was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Can ...

) for most fights in UFC Women's Flyweight division history (13) **Tied for sixth most unanimous decision wins in UFC history (9) ** Highest decision wins per win percentage in UFC history (11 decision wins / 11 wins: 100%) ** Fight of the Night (One time) *

Cage Fury Fighting Championships Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion primarily operating in the Northeastern United States. Founded by Felix and Amy Martinez, they promoted their first shows in Atlantic City, New Jersey, l ...

** CFFC Woman’s Flyweight Champion (One time) ** CFFC Woman’s Bantamweight Champion (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

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Mara Romero Borella Marachiara Romero Borella (born June 3, 1986) is an Italian professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Women's Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Borella taught Judo and was a personal trainer befo ...

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chookagian, Katlyn 1988 births People from Quakertown, Pennsylvania Living people American people of Armenian descent Bantamweight mixed martial artists American female mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Pennsylvania Flyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing karate Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Fairleigh Dickinson University alumni American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American female karateka Armenian female mixed martial artists Armenian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Armenian female karateka Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters 21st-century American women