Sijara Jihan Eubanks (born April 27, 1985)Mixed martial arts show results Date: September 12, 2020
/ref> 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, incorp ...

who currently fights in the women's bantamweight division of 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).

Background

Eubanks was born and raised in

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...

, and graduated from High School of Commerce. She then went to

Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known ...

. She started training

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

under

Lloyd Irvin Lloyd Irvin Jr. is a mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt practitioner and coach. The founder of Team Lloyd Irvin, the first non-Brazilian team to take a world team title, he is the head coach to several champion grappler ...

in 2008 and to extend her repertoire for mixed martial arts, she later started boxing and other disciplines. She competed in jiu-jitsu, winning the Women's No-Gi Advanced Absolute division in the 2011 Grapplers Quest World Championship Finals and

IBJJF The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is a for-profit company that hosts several of the biggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) tournaments in the world, including the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, World No-Gi Championship, Pan Jiu ...

World Championship as a brown belt in 2014.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

After an undefeated MMA record as an amateur, she turned pro in April 2015.

Invicta FC

Eubanks made her professional debut on April 24, 2015 against Gina Begley at Invicta FC 12. She won the fight via TKO in the first round. In her second pro bout Eubanks faced

Katlyn Chookagian Katlyn Chookagian (born December 28, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. She has formerly competed in the Bantamweight division and currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As o ...

at Cage Fury FC 52 on October 31, 2015. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. In her second fight for Invicta FC, Eubanks faced AmberLynn Orr on July 29, 2016 at Invicta FC 18. She won the fight via TKO in the first round. In her third fight for the promotion, Eubanks faced

Aspen Ladd Aspen Kohl Ladd (born March 1, 1995) is an American professional mixed martial artist who is competing in the Featherweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). A professional since 2015, Ladd started her professional mixed martial arts ...

on January 14, 2017 at Invicta FC 21. She lost the fight via unanimous decision, bringing her record to 2-2 before joining ''The Ultimate Fighter''.

The Ultimate Fighter

In August 2017, it was announced that Eubanks would be one of the fighters featured on ''

The Ultimate Fighter 26 ''The Ultimate Fighter 26'' (also known as '' The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion'') is an installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. Tryouts were announced on May ...

'', where the process to crown the UFC's inaugural 125-pound women's champion will take place. In the first round, Eubanks defeated Maia Stevenson via submission in the second round, allowing her to move on to the next stage of the competition. In the quarterfinals, Eubanks faced DeAnna Bennett and won the fight via knockout in round one. In the semifinals, Eubanks faced

Roxanne Modafferi Roxanne Vincenta Modafferi (born September 24, 1982) is an American retired mixed martial artist, who most recently fought for the UFC. Though she last fought in the flyweight division, she has fought in multiple weight classes in her career. A p ...

. She won the fight via unanimous decision after three rounds.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Eubanks was scheduled to face

Nicco Montaño Nicco Montaño (born December 16, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who last competed in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She was the inaugural UFC Women's Flyweight Champion. Background Of Navajo, Chickas ...

on December 1, 2017 at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale for the inaugural

UFC Women's Flyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC Championship#Title match system, championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, a ...

. She was pulled from the fight for kidney failure while trying to make weight and was replaced by

. Eubanks made her UFC debut 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 ...

at UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes on June 1, 2018. She won the bout via unanimous decision. Eubanks was scheduled to face

Valentina Shevchenko Valentina Anatolievna Shevchenko (russian: Валентина Анатольевна Шевченко; born ) is a Kyrgyz and Peruvian professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai, Muay Thai fighter. She currentl ...

for the vacant

UFC 230 ''UFC 230: Cormier vs. Lewis'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on November 3, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship bo ...

on November 3, 2018. However, the fight was canceled on October 9, 2018 after the UFC announced that a fight between

Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler, and current commentator for the UFC. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Ch ...

and

Derrick Lewis Derrick James Lewis (born February 7, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the record for most knockouts ...

would instead main event

and that Shevchenko would also return to her original bout for the vacant title, against

Joanna Jędrzejczyk Joanna Jędrzejczyk (; born August 18, 1987) is a Polish former professional mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer. She has been called the greatest female strawweight mixed martial artist of all time, including by Daniel Cormier, who cred ...

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 ...

. Eubanks remained on the card and faced

. At the weigh-ins, Eubanks weighed in at 127.2 pounds, 1.2 pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit of 126 and she was fined 20 percent of her purse, which went to her opponent Modafferi. She won the fight via unanimous decision. A rematch with

took place on May 18, 2019 at

UFC Fight Night 152 ''UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Lee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 152'' or ''UFC on ESPN+ 10'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on May 18, 2019 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, ...

. Eubanks lost to Ladd for the second time by unanimous decision. This fight earned her the ''Fight of the Night'' award. Eubanks faced Bethe Correia at

UFC on ESPN+ 17 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 lost the fight by unanimous decision. Eubanks was scheduled to face

Sarah Moras Sarah Ashley Moras (born 30 April 1988) is a Canadian mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division. Moras fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and she was a contestant on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Te ...

on April 18, 2020 at

UFC 249 ''UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 9, 2020 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It was originally planned to ...

. However, on April 9,

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed and rescheduled to May 13, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Eubanks was scheduled to face

Macy Chiasson Macy Chiasson (born July 27, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist (MMA). She was the Women's Featherweight winner of '' The Ultimate Fighter 28'' and currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ...

on September 5, 2020 at

UFC Fight Night 176 ''UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Sakai'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 176'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 34'' and ''UFC Vegas 9'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 5, 2020 at the UFC ...

. However, Chiasson pulled out of the fight for undisclosed medical reasons and was replaced by

Karol Rosa Karolline Rosa Cavedo (born December 30, 1994) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. A professional since 2012, she currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 3, 2022, she is #9 in t ...

. Rosa pulled out on September 3 due to complications related to her weight cut. Eubanks competed a week later at UFC Fight Night 177 on September 12, 2020 against

Julia Avila Julia Aide Shumate Avila (born May 11, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Previously she has competed in Invicta FC, HD MMA, XKO MMA, Total Warrior Combat and King of the Cage ( ...

. She won the fight via unanimous decision. As the first fight of her new contract with the UFC, Eubanks was scheduled for a quick turnaround (replacing injured

Marion Reneau Marion Elizabeth Reneau-Perez (born June 20, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who competed as a Bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Reneau began her professional mixed martia ...

) and faced

Ketlen Vieira Ketlen Vieira da Silva (born August 26, 1991) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of January 17, 2023, she is ranked #4 in the UFC women's bantam ...

on September 27, 2020 at

UFC 253 ''UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 27, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background The event was orig ...

. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. Eubanks faced

Pannie Kianzad Pannie Pantea Kianzad (born December 8, 1991, in Ahvaz, Iran) is an Iranian-born Swedish mixed martial artist. She is currently signed by Ultimate Fighting Championship in the Women's Bantamweight division, having previously fought in Invicta FC ...

on December 19, 2020 at

UFC Fight Night 183 ''UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 183'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 41'' and ''UFC Vegas 17'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 19, 2020 at the UF ...

. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. Eubanks was scheduled to face

on June 12, 2021 at

UFC 263 ''UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 12, 2021, at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, United States. Background The event was the second ...

. However, Rosa pulled out of the fight in late-May citing an injury. In turn, Eubanks was removed from the card and instead faced promotional newcomer

Elise Reed Elise Reed (born December 5, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Reed started martial arts at six years old by competing in Taekwondo, then moving ...

on July 24, 2021 at

UFC on ESPN 27 ''UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 27'' and ''UFC Vegas 32'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 24, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterpr ...

. Eubanks won the fight via technical knockout in round one. Eubanks was scheduled to face Luana Carolina, replacing

Maryna Moroz Maryna Moroz (Ukrainian: Марина Мороз; born September 8, 1991) is a Ukrainian professional mixed martial artist, signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she competes in the Women's Flyweight division. Moroz is also ...

, on October 16, 2021 at

UFC Fight Night 195 ''UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 195'', ''UFC Vegas 40'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 53'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 16, 2021, at the UFC A ...

. In turn Eubanks was pulled from the event due to Covid-19 protocol and she was replaced by Lupita Godinez. Eubanks faced

Melissa Gatto Melissa Gatto Regonha (born May 2, 1996) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who currently fights in the women's flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Gatto was born and grew up in Toledo, Paraná, Bra ...

on December 18, 2021 at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus. At the weigh-ins, Eubanks weighed in at 127.5 pounds, 1.5 pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight. She lost the fight via body kick TKO in the third round. Eubanks was scheduled to face

on July 9, 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, the pair was moved to

UFC Fight Night 210 ''UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 210'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 68'' and ''UFC Vegas 60'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 17, 2022, at the ...

on September 17, 2022 for undisclosed reasons. In early September, Moroz was rebooked against

Jennifer Maia Jennifer Maia (born October 6, 1988) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. Maia currently competes in the Flyweight, Women's Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Maia trains at Chute Boxe Academy in Brazi ...

UFC Fight Night 215 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 ...

on November 19, 2022. In late August, Eubanks withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons with the promotion seeking a new opponent for Moroz. Eubanks is scheduled to face

Priscila Cachoeira Priscila Cachoeira Gomes Da Silva (born 19 August 1988) is a Brazilian female mixed martial arts fighter. She currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Personal life Cachoeira had a troubled childhood gr ...

on January 14, 2023, at

UFC Fight Night 217 ''UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 217'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 75'' and ''UFC Vegas 67'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 14, 2023, at the ...

Personal life

Eubanks is an openly lesbian athlete. In February 2021, Eubanks came under fire from many MMA fans and media after a video was posted to her

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

page that showed Eubanks in a physical confrontation with her former live-in partner, Lilly Ruiz, in front of their child. In a statement posted to her

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

page, Eubanks claimed that she was the victim of domestic violence and denied any claims that she was abusive to any partners. No charges were filed.

Championships and accomplishments

** Fight of the Night (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 7–7 ,

, TKO (body kick and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:45 ,

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 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–6 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:49 ,

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

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 6–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–4 , Bethe Correia , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, Mexico , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Lee , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center , 2–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Invicta FC 21: Anderson vs. Tweet , , 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 , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Amber Lynn , TKO (punches and elbows) , Invicta FC 18: Grasso vs. Esquibel , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:41 ,

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

, Decision (unanimous) , Cage Fury Fighting Championships 52 , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 ,

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.

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 1–0 , Gina Begley , TKO (punches) , Invicta FC 12: Kankaanpää vs. Souza , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:59 ,

, United States , , - , - , Win , align=center , 3–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , rowspan=3, The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion , (air date) , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 , rowspan=3,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 2–0 ,

DeAnna Bennett DeAnna Danielle Bennett (born November 18, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Strawweight division in Invicta FC since 2014. As of December 13, 2022, she is #4 in the Bellator Women's Flyweight Rankings. Backgroun ...

, KO (head kick) , (air date) , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:25 , , - , Win , align=center , 1–0 , Maia Stevenson , Submission (kimura) , (air date) , align=center , 2 , align=center , 1:52 ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eubanks, Sijara 1985 births Living people LGBT mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Massachusetts Flyweight mixed martial artists American female mixed martial artists Bantamweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners People from Springfield, Massachusetts LGBT African Americans LGBT people from Massachusetts American LGBT sportspeople Morgan State University alumni Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters Lesbian sportswomen LGBT Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners 21st-century American women