Kaitlin Young (born September 15, 1985) is an American

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, incorp ...

who currently competes in the lightweight division. A professional mixed martial artist since 2007, Young has also competed for

EliteXC Elite Xtreme Combat, also known as EliteXC, was a United States-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization owned and operated by ProElite. It was founded as a partnership between Showtime Networks and ProElite and officially announced on Decemb ...

Invicta Fighting Championships Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to Women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is currentl ...

, and

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

(PFL)

Biography

Young began training in martial arts at age 14, where she explored her interest in

taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...

and earned a black belt. After attending a taekwondo national conference, Young discovered

Thai boxing Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

. She signed up for classes at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy after attending a Thai boxing event. Graduating at the top of her class from Centennial High School in 2004, Young subsequently enrolled in the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

, with a major in

kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human health ...

Mixed martial arts career

Young rose to fame after winning the one-night 2007

HOOKnSHOOT HOOKnSHOOT was a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Evansville, Indiana, United States. It was one of the earliest MMA promotions in the United States, and one of the first organisations in the United States to allow Women's MMA. Hist ...

Women's Grand Prix with three knockouts in a combined time of just 1:45. She then faced Sarah Schneider at Tuff-N-Uff: "Thompson vs. Troyer" on February 1, 2008, but was defeated by a second-round armbar. On May 31, 2008, Young was defeated by

Gina Carano Gina Joy Carano (born April 16, 1982) is an American actress and former mixed martial artist. She competed in EliteXC and Strikeforce from 2006 to 2009, where she compiled a 7–1 record. Her popularity led to her being called the "face of wome ...

at EliteXC: Primetime on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

after the second round when the ringside physician declared her unable to continue. Young returned to MMA competition on December 11, 2009, but lost to Shana Olsen via second-round technical knock out. Olsen had missed weight for the fight. Young entered the Freestyle Cage Fighting Women's Bantamweight Grand Prix at FCF 39 on January 30, 2010 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She was defeated by

Jennifer Tate Jennifer Rose Tate (born September 2, 1985) is an American female mixed martial artist. Tate started training in Taekwondo at the age of 13, and she earned her Black belt. She was the Northern California Golden Gloves champion in 2007 and 2008. S ...

in the second round of their quarterfinal bout. Young was set to face Jamie Seaton in the co-main event at Crowbar MMA: "Fall Brawl" on September 11, 2010, but Seaton withdrew from the fight. Young was then matched up against

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 ...

, but the fight was cancelled after Young signed on to take part in the filming of the Ultimate Women Challenge reality show. After the show never made it to air, Young and 6 other contestants sued the producers, claiming they were never paid. During the filming of the

Ultimate Women Challenge Ultimate Women Challenge was an unaired show featuring 16 female fighters who would win a prize of $50,000. During the filming of the Ultimate Women Challenge, Kaitlin Young faced Julie Kedzie on September 24, 2010. She defeated Kedzie by split d ...

, Young faced

Julie Kedzie Julie Kedzie (born March 18, 1981) is a retired American mixed martial artist. She is a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Kedzie was Greg Jackson's personal assistant at Jackson's Mixed Martial Arts. K ...

on September 24, 2010. She defeated Kedzie by split decision. Young faced Kedzie again in a five-round title rematch at Jackson's MMA Series 4 on April 9, 2011 in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. She was defeated by unanimous decision. Young was scheduled to face

Jan Finney Jan Finney (born April 18, 1980) is an American female mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the 135-pound bantamweight division. Early life Finney played softball at Kenton Ridge High School and Urbana University. Mixed martial arts ...

in the main event of Freestyle Cage Fighting 49 on October 1. However, Finney withdrew from the fight and Young faced Liz Carreiro instead. She defeated Carreiro by TKO late in the first round. Young agreed to face Milana Dudieva at ProFC 37 on November 9, 2011 in

Ufa, Russia Ufa ( ba, Өфө , Öfö; russian: Уфа́, r=Ufá, p=ʊˈfa) is the largest city and capital of Bashkortostan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Belaya and Ufa rivers, in the centre-north of Bashkortostan, on hills forming the ...

. However, she withdrew from the fight on October 30 due to complications in securing a visa. Young faced Anna Barone at "Downtown Showdown 2" on January 6, 2012 in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. Barone missed weight, but the fight proceeded and Young defeated Barone by TKO when the doctor stopped the fight after round two.

Invicta FC

Young faced Leslie Smith at Invicta FC 1: Coenen vs. Ruyssen on April 28, 2012. Their bout ended in a split draw and was named fight of the night. Young faced

at Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann on July 28, 2012. She was defeated by submission due to a rear-naked choke in the second round. Young was next set to face

Sarah Kaufman Sarah Elizabeth Kaufman (born September 20, 1985) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist (MMA). She competed in the women's bantamweight division where she is a former Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship. Kaufman was the inaugural Strike ...

at Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama. However, Kaufman suffered an injury and Young instead faced Leslie Smith in a rematch. She was defeated by TKO in the second round. Young was scheduled to face

Amanda Nunes Amanda Lourenço Nunes (born May 30, 1988) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current UFC Women's Featherweight Champion and two-time UFC Women's Bantamw ...

at Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson on April 5, 2013. However, Nunes sustained an arm injury and Young instead faced Lauren Taylor. Young lost the fight via unanimous decision. In April 2016 it was announced by

Invicta FC Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to Women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is current ...

that Young would be joining their staff as a fight matchmaker, working alongside

. After over four years of absence from competition, Young fought

Reina Miura Reina Miura (三浦伶奈, born 22 July 1996) is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist, currently competing in the featherweight division of Rizin and DEEP. Mixed martial arts career Early career Openweight career Miura made her amat ...

at Rizin 12 on August 12, 2018. Yong won the fight via unanimous decision. Young was scheduled to face Zarah Fairn Dos Santos on November 16, 2018 at Invicta FC 32: Spencer vs. Sorenson. However due to visa issues Dos Santos was replaced by Sarah Patterson and the fight proceeded at 150-pound catchweight affair to accommodate Patterson. At the weigh-ins, Patterson weighed in at 154.5 pounds, 3.5 pound over the catchweight fight limit of 150. She was fined 25 percent of her purse, which went to her opponent Young. Young won the fight via technical knockout in round one. In June 2019, Young defeated Faith McMah by TKO in the third round. Young faced

Pam Sorenson Pam Sorenson (born March 3, 1986) is a female American mixed martial artist who competes in Featherweight division of Bellator MMA. She has previously competed in Invicta Fighting Championships, where she is the former Invicta FC Featherweight C ...

on August 9, 2019 at Invicta FC 36: Sorenson vs. Young for the vacant Invicta featherweight title. Young lost the fight in a five round unanimous decision.

Professional Fighters League

On February 25, 2021, news surfaced that Young had signed with

and is expected to compete in the women's lightweight tournament of season 2021. Young made her debut against

Cindy Dandois Cindy Dandois (born 26 October 1984) is a Belgian female mixed martial artist. She formerly competed in the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions in Invicta and the Ultimate Fighting Championship and also the Lightweight division in the Prof ...

at PFL 3 on May 6, 2021. She won the bout via unanimous decision. Young faced Mariana Morais on June 25, 2021 at PFL 6. She lost the close bout via split decision. Young was scheduled to face

Marina Mokhnatkina Marina Yuryevna Mokhnatkina (russian: Марина Юрьевна Мохнаткина; née Kormiltseva, born 12 May 1988) is a sambo competitor and mixed martial artist. Mokhnatkina is a six-time world champion and two-time European champion in ...

on August 19, 2021 at PFL 8. Young was pulled from the bout a day before the event due to undisclosed reasons. Young faced

Julia Budd Julia Olivia Budd (born July 4, 1983) is a Canadian kickboxer and mixed martial artist competing in the Women's Featherweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). She has fought in MMA promotions '' Strikeforce'' and ''Invicta Fighti ...

on October 27, 2021 at PFL 10. She lost the bout in decisive fashion via unanimous decision. Young faced

Kayla Harrison Kayla Jean Harrison (born July 2, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former Olympic and world champion judoka, currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Harrison competed in the weight category in jud ...

on July 1, 2022 at PFL 6. Young lost the bout, with the referee stoppage at the 2:35 mark of the first round.

Championships and accomplishments

Muay Thai

* 2007 TBA-SA Amateur 135lb North American Muay Thai Champion

Mixed martial arts

*HOOKnSHOOT ** 2007 HOOKnSHOOT Women's Grand Prix Champion *

**Fight of the Night (one time) vs. Leslie Smith

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 12–13–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , PFL 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

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Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

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Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

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, Decision (unanimous) , Invicta FC 36: Sorenson vs. Young , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , For the vacant Invicta FC Featherweight Championship , - , Win , align=center, 10–9–1 , Faith McMah , TKO (punches) , Invicta FC 35: Bennett vs. Rodriguez II , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:52 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–9–1 , Sarah Patterson , TKO (leg kick and punches) , Invicta FC 32: Spencer vs. Sorenson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:25 ,

Shawnee, Oklahoma Shawnee ( sac, Shânîheki) is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 in 2010, a 4.9 percent increase from the figure of 28,692 in 2000. The city is part of the Oklahoma Cit ...

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, Decision (unanimous) , Rizin 12 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–9–1 ,

Raquel Pa'aluhi Raquel Pa'aluhi Canuto (born October 14, 1990) is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu grappler and former mixed martial artist. Canuto was awarded her Black Belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by her coach Robert Drysdale. Raquel is the 2014, 2015, 2016, ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Invicta FC 9: Honchak vs. Hashi , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

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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 ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–7–1 , Leslie Smith , TKO (punches) , Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:19 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–6–1 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:34 ,

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 7–5–1 , Leslie Smith , Draw (split) , Invicta FC 1: Coenen vs. Ruyssen , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 7–5 , Anna Barone , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Driller Promotions / SEG - Downtown Showdown 2 , , align=center , 2 , align=center , 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 6–5 , Liz Carreiro , TKO (punches) , FCF 49: Fight Strong For The Cure , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 4:47 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center , 5–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Jackson's MMA Series 4 , , align=center , 5 , align=center , 5:00 ,

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St. George, Utah St. George is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Utah, United States. Located in southwestern Utah on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The city lies in the northe ...

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, Submission (armbar) , Freestyle Cage Fighting 39 , , align=center , 2 , align=center , 2:35 ,

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Welch, Minnesota Welch is an unincorporated community in Welch Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States. Welch is along County 7 Boulevard near Highway 61, 36 miles southeast of St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩ� ...

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, TKO (doctor stoppage) , EliteXC: Primetime , , align=center , 2 , align=center , 3:00 ,

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

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Miesha Tate Miesha Theresa Tate ( ; born August 18, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which she is a former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champions ...

, KO (head kick) , align=center , 1 , align=center , 0:30 , , - , Win , align=center , 2–0 , Suzy Smith , KO (knees) , align=center , 1 , align=center , 0:22 , , - , Win , align=center , 1–0 , Lindsey Frandrop , TKO (body kicks and punches) , Brutaal - Fight Night , , align=center , 2 , align=center , 0:26 ,

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References

External links

*
Kaitlin Young
at PFL *
Kaitlin Young
at AwakeningFighters.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Kaitlin 1985 births Living people University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development alumni American female mixed martial artists Bantamweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Female Muay Thai practitioners American female kickboxers American Muay Thai practitioners American female taekwondo practitioners American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners People from Circle Pines, Minnesota 21st-century American women