While Dana White was originally skeptical about creating a UFC women’s division, the decision to do that in 2012 paved the way for several successful female fighters. The bantamweight was initially the only women’s division, but that has changed over the years, with female fighters competing across four weight classes. That includes the bantamweight, flyweight, featherweight, and strawweight.
In recent years, UFC fans have enjoyed some matches from female fighters and it has now become common for women to feature on a card as co-main events. Here are the world’s best female fighters in the UFC today featured on the Asian Vwin sports platform.
- Rose Namajunas
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rose Namajunas is a Lithuanian-American MMA fighter competing in the women’s strawweight division. The 29-year-old is a two-time women’s strawweight champion and she’s currently ranked 3rd in the UFC pound-for-pound ranking in the women’s division.
The current strawweight champion started his career in the Ultimate Fighter and has recorded incredible success since joining the UFC. Her most notable victory came after she crashed Joana Jedrzerjczyk, giving her the first-ever UFC defeat to claim the title.
- Amanda Nunes
A Brazilian mixed martial artist, Amanda Nunez is the current champion in the UFC women’s featherweight division and the former Bantamweight Champion. Nunes is widely seen as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time and she was also the first woman to win a two-division UFC championship match.
Nunes is the third fighter to win UFC championships in two weight classes, with Daniel Cormier and Conor McGregor being the other two fighters. Additionally, she was the first and only fighter who has tried to defend two UFC titles while in the same year, ranking second in the pound-for-pound rankings.
- Valentina Shevchenko
A former Muay Thai fighter, Valentina Shevchenko is the reigning champion in the UFC’s women’s flyweight division. The 33-year-old Russian ranks 1st in the women’s pound-for-pound ranking and her most notable victory being on UFC 231 when she defeated Joana Jedrzejczyk to become the champion.
- Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili is a Chinese MMA fighter and a former strawweight champion of the Kunlun fight. The 32-year-old is the first Chinese champion in UFC history, where she ranks 1st in the Women’s strawweight rankings. She also ranked 5th in the women’s pound-for-pound rankings as of December 2021.
- Julianna Pena
An American MMA fighter, Julianna Pena (popular as the Venezuelan Vixen) is the current champion for the UFC women’s bantamweight division. Pena was the first female fighter to win the Ultimate fight and is also among the top five martial artists in the women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
- Jessica Andrade
Another Brazilian MMA fighter, Jessica Andrade is the former UFC champion in the flyweight division. Andrade ranks first in the UFC female flyweight rankings, with notable victories against leading fighters like Rose Namajunas.
Jessica made her UFC debut in 2013 against Carmouche, making him among the longest-serving female fighters in this franchise. The 30-year-old has won 22 out of 31 of his matches, including her most recent fight against Cynthia Calvillo.
- Joanna Jedrzejczyk
For several years, Joanna Jedrzejczyk has been one of the top female fighters in the UFC. The polish international won all her first eight UFC matches, defending the Women’s Strawweight title on five occasions. Unfortunately, Joana has lost four out of her last six championships recently, but she remains a strong athlete in the strawweight division.
- Carla Esparza
Popular for her grappling skills, Carla Esparza was the first MMA fighter to win the Invicta FC strawweight championship and the UFC strawweight championship. Carla was once considered the best strawweight champion in the world after winning the two titles, which also makes her among the top 10 in the women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
- Holly Holm
Holly Holm became a sensation in the UFC after handing Ronda Rousey her first defeat in the game witnessed by a record-breaking crowd. The win gave Holm her first Women’s Bantamweight title while helping her record one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history. Unfortunately, Hold lost the belt against Miesha Tate in her next fight.
Holm is considered one of the best strikers in the history of the UFC, with her boxing skills giving her an edge over lots of competitors. The former boxing world champion has recorded 14 MMA wins in his 19 matches, only losing 5.
- Irene Aldana
A Mexican MMA fighter, Irene Aldama is ranking as the third-best athlete in the UFC women’s bantamweight division. The 33-year-old has a pro MMA career record of 13-6-0, with her last win being against Yana Kunitskaya earlier last year. She is expected to face Aspen Ladd in her next fight at UFC 273.
Conclusion
Besides these 10 mixed martial artists, the UFC has treated its fans to lots of exciting bouts featuring legendary fighters like Miesha Tate, Aspen Ladd, Ronda Rousey, and Cris Cyborg. You can also expect more women to rise in the ranks of different class weights in the coming years.
