Marina Mokhnatkina
Seven world titles, many bouts finished in seconds
- Born
- May 12, 1988, Kokchetav region, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
- Nationality
Russia- Height
- 168 cm (5′6″)
- Style
- Submission specialist
- Weight
- 68 kg, Lightweight (MMA), Featherweight (MMA)
- Active
- 2008–2023
The medals
7 world titles at 68 kg (2011–2019); MMA record 11-4 (Sherdog)
The story
arina Mokhnatkina grew up in a village in Perm region, where her family kept a large farmstead and she milked cows and dug the vegetable beds as a girl. She joined Russia's national sambo team in 2008 and, competing first as Marina Kormiltseva, won the world title at 68 kg in 2011. By 2019 she had seven, along with two European titles, the 2013 Universiade and the 2013 World Combat Games. FIAS, which put her in its Hall of Fame, calls her a master of ground fighting who finished many bouts within seconds. She took that game into MMA in 2016, winning her first four fights by submission, and reached the 2023 PFL featherweight final, where she lost a decision to Larissa Pacheco. She is married to UFC heavyweight Serghei Spivac and now uses the surname Spivak.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- World champion, 68 kg (2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
- European champion, 68 kg (2011, 2013)
- Universiade champion (Kazan 2013) and World Combat Games champion (2013)
- European Games bronze (Minsk 2019)
- PFL featherweight tournament runner-up (2023)
- FIAS Hall of Fame
- Honoured Master of Sports of Russia
Defining matches
- 2011WINvs Azzaya Enkhbat (World Championships 68 kg final, Vilnius; first world title, as Marina Kormiltseva)
- 2019WINvs Dildash Kuryshbayeva (World Championships 68 kg final; seventh world title)
- 2022LOSSvs Kayla Harrison (PFL, unanimous decision)
- 2023WINvs Amber Leibrock (PFL semi-final, armbar in round 1)
- 2023LOSSvs Larissa Pacheco (PFL featherweight final, unanimous decision)
Chain your leg locks: if your partner defends a kneebar by turning or pulling the knee free, switch straight to the ankle lock on the same leg. Mokhnatkina's MMA submission wins include an armbar in 25 seconds, a kneebar and an Achilles lock.
