Russian MMA Fighter Shares Brutal Picture Of Her Bruised Face

A Russian female MMA fighter has highlighted the harsh reality of her career in a Instagram post.

Anastasia Yankova's bruised face has struck a chord with her 132k followers.

The facial injuries were sustained in a bout against US fighter Veta Artega at the Bellator 161 Fighting Championships last Friday. While Yankova may have left a winner, her picture demonstrates that it can often come at a price. A black-eyed, swollen-nosed, bust-lipped, swollen-eared price.

'This is MMA, babe.' Yankova wrote in the caption. 'Had an elbow dance with my girlfriend... now I look like a beggar at a railway station. This is how I will look for the next couple of days.'

Yankova, known for her defined features and long, blonde hair, had fans expressing concern for just that. One wrote: 'Such beauty should be protected.'

Bellator, founded in 2008, is notorious for its rough style - even by MMA standards.

Yankova bagged $100,000 from her second-round win against Artega in Cedar Park, Texas, which in turn landed her a world title fight against the current world champion in her weight class.

Featured image credit: Instagram/Anastasia Yankova

Topics: MMA

Josh Teal

Josh Teal is a journalist at LADbible. He has contributed to the 'Knowing Me, Knowing EU' and 'UOKM8?' campaigns interviewing everyone from student drug dealers to climate change activists.

@tealioni