Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Women’s Bantamweight

1. Amanda Nunes (20-4) [1]

Nunes was completely dominant against Felicia Spencer in the UFC 250 headliner, winning a lopsided unanimous verdict that wasn’t as close as the judges’ scorecards (50-44, 50-44, 50-45) indicated. That makes 11 consecutive triumphs for Nunes, who joins Daniel Cormier and Henry Cejudo as the only three fighters to successfully defend UFC titles in two different weight classes. “Lioness” was supposed to return for another 145-pound title defense against Megan Anderson at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 but was forced to withdraw from the bout due to undisclosed reasons. The title bout has been rebooked for UFC 259.

2. Germaine de Randamie (10-4) [2]

De Randamie showcased a new element to her game at UFC on ESPN 16, as she submitted Julianna Pena with a guillotine choke in the third round of their bantamweight encounter at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 3. It was the first submission victory ever for the Dutch kickboxer, who rebounded from a five-round defeat to Amanda Nunes in a title bout at UFC 245 last December. De Randamie has won six of her eight promotional appearances, with her only two defeats both coming at the hands of Nunes.

3. Holly Holm (14-5) [3]

Holm put together one of her most complete performances in recent memory at UFC on ESPN 16, as she dominated Irene Aldana for five rounds in the evening’s headliner at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 3. Even at 39 years old, Holm appears to be a cut above all but a handful of women in the bantamweight division. The Jackson-Wink MMA stalwart has rebounded from a brutal knockout loss to Amanda Nunes with back-to-back decision triumphs over Aldana and Raquel Pennington in 2020. Next, she will square off with “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner Julianna Pena on May 8.

4. Aspen Ladd (9-1) [4]

Ladd rebounded from her disappointing loss to Germaine de Randamie in resounding fashion at UFC on ESPN 7, as she scored a third-round technical knockout victory against Yana Kunitskaya in Washington, D.C. One of the bantamweight division’s most ferocious competitors, Ladd has won four of her first five Octagon appearances. Ladd’s return to action against Sara McMann on June 27 was derailed due to a knee injury.

5. Raquel Pennington (11-8) [5]

Pennington rode solid clinch work to a three-round verdict over Marion Reneau in a featured contest at UFC on ESPN 11. The former 135-pound title challenger has won two of her last three UFC bouts following a difficult 2018 that saw her lose lopsided bouts against Amanda Nunes and Germaine de Randamie.

6. Irene Aldana (12-6) [6]

Aldana was positioned as the next bantamweight title challenger heading into UFC on ESPN 16; all she had to do was dispatch former 135-pound queen Holly Holm in the evening’s main event. Of course, that’s easier said than done, and Aldana never found a rhythm in losing a lopsided unanimous decision. The Lobo Gym representative, who has still won five of her last seven Octagon appearances, has some work to climb back to the top of the contender’s pool.

7. Yana Kunitskaya (14-5, 1 NC) [7]

Kunitskaya was able to offset the grappling of Ketlen Vieira with an active offensive approach – including a furious barrage of elbows in Round 3 – to earn a hard-fought unanimous verdict in the UFC Fight Night 185 co-main event on Feb. 20. The American Top Team product has now won four of five appearances at 135 pounds in the Octagon and appears to be in line for another ranked foe in her next promotional appearance.

8. Ketlen Vieira (11-2) [8]

Though Vieira controlled much of her UFC Fight Night 185 co-headlining clash against Yana Kunitskaya with her heavy topside grappling, the Brazilian was doomed by her lack of activity. That ultimately allowed Kunitskaya to steal the scorecards thanks to brief bursts of offense, including a barrage of elbows that left Vieira bloodied at the end of the third round. Once regarded as a future title contender at 135 pounds, Vieira has lost two of her last three UFC bouts.

9. Julianna Pena (10-4) [9]

Pena survived some early adversity against Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann and rallied to submit her opponent with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their preliminary bantamweight clash at UFC 257. “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner, who has won six of her last eight UFC appearances, will next square off against ex-bantamweight queen Holly Holm at a UFC Fight Night event on May 8.

10. Sara McMann (12-6) [10]

McMann was able to impose her will through wrestling and top control early in her UFC 257 matchup with Julianna Pena, but the former bantamweight title challenger faded down the stretch and was submitted by “The Venezuelan Vixen” in the third round of their bout in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23. The 40-year-old South Carolinian has lost three of her last four Octagon appearances, with her lone win during that stretch coming against Lina Lansberg at UFC Fight Night 166.

Other Contenders: Lina Lansberg, Marion Reneau, Macy Chiasson, Pannie Kianzad, Sijara Eubanks.

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