Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Women’s Bantamweight

1. Amanda Nunes (22-5) | UFC [1]

Nunes silenced the doubters in emphatic fashion in the UFC 277 headliner, as she captured a convincing unanimous decision triumph against Julianna Pena in their bantamweight championship rematch at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on July 30. Not only did “Lioness” bounce back from her shocking upset loss to Pena in 2021, but she re-established herself as a two-division title holder and arguably the top pound-for-pound female talent in the sport. Trilogy fights against Pena or even Valentina Shevchenko remain possibilities, but Nunes could also defend one of her belts against a new contender in her next Octagon appearance.

2. Julianna Pena (11-5) | UFC [2]

The fairy tale ended for Pena at UFC 277, as she was battered and dominated for five rounds in a clear-cut unanimous decision loss to Amanda Nunes in their bantamweight championship rematch at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on July 30. Pena’s grit was on full display against her “Ultimate Fighter 30” coaching counterpart, but other than a few fleeting moments of success, the fight belonged to Nunes. “The Venezuelan Vixen” remains relevant in the division thanks to her massive upset of the two-division champ at UFC 269, but it’s currently unclear if an immediate trilogy is in store.

3. Raquel Pennington (15-8) | UFC [3]

Pennington maintained her foothold in the bantamweight division at UFC Fight Night 217, as she garnered a hard-fought — and somewhat contentious — split decision victory against Ketlen Vieira at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas in the promotion’s first event of 2023. That makes five consecutive victories for “Rocky,” who is still a top contender at 135 pounds

4. Irene Aldana (14-6) | UFC [4]

Aldana became the third person in UFC history to finish a fight with an upkick when she drove her heel into Macy Chiasson’s liver for a third-round KO at UFC 279. While the bout was contested at a 140-pound catchweight, it was the type of performance that will keep people talking about the Lobo Gym MMA standout. The 34-year-old Mexican has won four of her last five Octagon appearances, with three of those triumphs coming inside the distance.

5. Holly Holm (15-6) | UFC [7]

Holm kicked off her new six-fight contract in style, as she relied on takedowns and control to cruise to a dominant three-round verdict over former training partner Yana Santos in the UFC on ESPN 43 co-main event. Were it not for a contentious split-decision loss to Ketlen Vieira, the Jackson-Wink MMA standout could easily be in the midst of a four-fight winning streak. Despite that setback, a recent resume that also includes wins over Raquel Pennington and Irene Aldana has “The Preacher’s Daughter” right in the thick of things at 135 pounds.

6. Ketlen Vieira (13-3) | UFC [6]

It was close but not quite for Vieira, who dropped a split decision to Raquel Pennington in a featured bout at UFC Fight Night 217. While many observers felt the Brazilian deserved the nod on the scorecards, it’s still nonetheless a momentum killer for a fighter who was coming off back-to-back triumphs over ex-champions Holly Holm and Miesha Tate. A victory over Pennington might have propelled Vieira to the top of the contender’s queue. Instead, it appears the Nova Uniao product still has more work to do at 135 pounds.

7. Yana Santos (14-7, 1 NC) | UFC [5]

Santos missed an opportunity to make a statement at 135 pounds, as she was overwhelmed by the grappling and top control of Holly Holm in a unanimous decision defeat at UFC on ESPN 43. The former Invicta FC title holder has now lost back-to-back fights for the first time in her professional career and faces an uphill climb to get back into the title discussion in the division.

8. Sara McMann (13-6) | UFC [8]

McMann ended Karol Rosa’s six-bout winning streak at UFC on ESPN 33, capturing a unanimous decision against the Parana Vale Tudo product at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The 2004 Olympic silver medalist’s wrestling was more than enough to get the job done against Rosa, as she secured takedowns in all three rounds of the bantamweight clash. McMann will make her 145-pound debut against former title challenger Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 294.

9. Pannie Kianzad (16-6) | UFC [9]

Kianzad was successful in her first venture of 2022, as she outpointed Lina Lansberg at UFC on ESPN 34 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “Banzai” has quietly been victorious in five of her last six bantamweight appearances in the Octagon, a run that includes triumphs over former title challengers Alexis Davis and Bethe Correia. Kianzad herself still has some work to do to reach the top of the division, but her recent track record makes her one to keep an eye on in the coming months.

10. Karol Rosa (16-4) | UFC [10]

Rosa survived an early knockdown and relied on takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound to carry her to a majority decision triumph against Lina Lansberg at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. The Parana Vale Tudo product has won seven of her last eight professional outings, with her lone setback during that time coming at the hands of Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann at UFC on ESPN 33. Rosa will try her hand at featherweight in her next Octagon appearance, when she faces Norma Dumont on April 22.

Other Contenders: Mayra Bueno Silva, Miesha Tate, Alexis Davis, Talita Bernardo, Lucie Pudilova.

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