Sherdog’s WMMA Pound-for-Pound Top 10

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Many observers expected it to be ugly — and it often was — but Valentina Shevchenko has been there before.

“Bullet” earned her 10th championship victory in the UFC 315 co-main event on Saturday, holding off a stiff challenge from Manon Fiorot, who did her best to slow down the action and turn the fight into a grinder. While Shevchenko often found herself pressed up against the fence by her French adversary, the reigning flyweight queen was able to find enough openings to distinguish herself — most notably when she dropped Fiorot near the end of the fourth stanza. When all was said and done, the 37-year-old Kyrgyzstan native prevailed thanks to a trio of 48-47 tallies from the cageside judges. While it was far from a dominant performance, it’s difficult to win and look pretty at this level all the time. What Shevchenko has shown — outside of an upset loss to Alexa Grasso in 2023 — is that she knows how to get her hand raised on a consistent basis.

With Cristiane Justino not nearly as active as she once was, Shevchenko has earned the right to take the No. 1 pound-for-pound spot, especially on the heels of a triumph over an opponent who was ranked fifth in this poll. There’s still plenty to look forward to for “Bullet,” whether it’s a title defense against surging new contender Natalia Silva or a high-profile clash with strawweight champ Weili Zhang, the other woman with a legitimate claim to the top pound-for-pound spot.

Meanwhile, Silva is a fresh face in these rankings, debuting at No. 4 after a convincing victory against Alexa Grasso on the UFC 315 main card. Silva has seven straight UFC victories to her credit and looks to be only just reaching the peak of her powers in the flyweight division.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

1. Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1) | UFC [2]

While the outcome was in doubt right up until the end, Shevchenko survived a stern test from Manon Fiorot to retain her flyweight crown in the UFC 315 co-headliner. Though Fiorot slowed the action down in the clinch, Shevchenko authored the more memorable moments in the contest, including a knockdown in Round 4. With 10 victories in title bouts over the course of her career, “Bullet” has consistently proven herself when the stakes are at their highest. A showdown against rising star Natalia Silva could be next for the 37-year-old Kyrgyzstan native.

2. Weili Zhang (26-3) | UFC [3]

Zhang was more dominant than anyone could have imagined in the UFC 312 co-main event, as she overwhelmed Tatiana Suarez for four rounds after dropping the opening stanza. Not only did Zhang batter her opponent on the feet, but she also controlled the vast majority of the grappling exchanges against an accomplished wrestler. “Magnum” is now tied for the most title victories (six) in UFC strawweight history, and there doesn’t appear to be a clear threat to her reign at the top of the division at this point in time.

3. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (28-2, 1 NC) | PFL [1]

Even at 39 years old, “Cyborg” remains the cream of the crop in the women’s featherweight division. She once again proved her supremacy in the PFL “Battle of the Giants” co-main event, where she outdueled Larissa Pacheco for five rounds to capture the promotion’s Superfights belt. The heavy-handed Brazilian has now captured championships in the UFC, PFL, Strikeforce, Bellator and Invicta, making her perhaps the most accomplished female fighter ever. With a lack of depth at 145 pounds, Justino’s next move will prove to be interesting indeed.

4. Natalia Silva (19-5-1) | UFC [NR]

Silva relied on her speed, movement and athleticism to confound Alexa Grasso for the better part of 15 minutes during their encounter at UFC 315 on May 10 in Montreal. By taking a clear-cut unanimous decision over the former flyweight queen, the 28-year-old Brazilian extends her Octagon winning streak to seven and inserts herself right into the thick of the 125-pound title picture. Silva’s overall professional winning streak sits at 13 and dates back to 2018.

5. Manon Fiorot (12-2) | UFC [5]

Fiorot shook off a rough start to give Valentina Shevchenko a stern test in the UFC 315 co-main event, but it wasn’t quite enough to take the belt away from the reigning champion. The Frenchwoman was at her best when the fight was ugly, but she ultimately failed to author enough memorable moments to get the nod on the judges’ scorecards. The Frenchwoman sees a 12-fight professional winning streak snapped in defeat, but she remains near the top of the division.

6. Alexa Grasso (16-5-1) | UFC [4]

In her first fight against an opponent other than Valentina Shevchenko since 2022, Grasso struggled with the speed and movement of Natalia Silva, losing a lopsided unanimous decision in a featured bout at UFC 315 in Montreal. The Lobo Gym MMA standout seems far removed from her massive upset of Shevchenko in March 2023, but at just 31 years old, she still has plenty of time to rebound from a frustrating performance. However, she’ll likely need a few wins to return to championship contention.

7. Erin Blanchfield (13-2) UFC [6]

After suffering her first UFC defeat against Manon Fiorot in March, Blanchfield rebounded with a pivotal, five-round unanimous decision triumph against former strawweight queen Rose Namajunas in the UFC Edmonton co-main event. “Cold Blooded” started slowly, but she was gradually able to take control over the bout’s final 15 minutes. With victories over Namajunas, Taila Santos and Jessica Andrade already on her resume, the New Jersey will look to add to her record when she meets Maycee Barber on May 31.

8. Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) | PFL [7]

After rolling through largely unheralded opposition in her first 13 professional outings, Ditcheva made a significant statement at the PFL Championships, where she stopped former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in the second round of the co-headlining clash. With a resume that now includes flyweight titles in the PFL and PFL Europe, Ditcheva appears to be fulfilling her considerable potential. The Brit’s next step will likely be a spot on an upcoming PFL Champions Series card.

9. Rose Namajunas (13-7) | UFC [8]

Things appeared to be going well for Namajunas in the early rounds against Erin Blanchfield at UFC Edmonton, but “Thug” Rose was unable to keep the fight at her preferred range down the stretch. That resulted in a narrow five-round defeat for the former strawweight champion, who falls to 2-2 since moving to 125 pounds and sees her title hopes dashed for the time being. Next, Namajunas will face Miranda Maverick on June 14.

10. Julianna Pena (12-5) | UFC [9]

Returning to action at UFC 307 after more than two years away, “The Venezuelan Vixen” picked up right where she left off, edging out Raquel Pennington by split decision to reclaim the title she lost in July 2022. In so doing, the Washington state native became one of the unlikeliest two-time champs in UFC history, proving that when healthy, she can hold her own with anyone. While she used her moment in the spotlight to try and goad retired former champ Amanda Nunes into a rubber match, the first title defense of her second reign will be a showdown against surging newcomer Kayla Harrison in the UFC 316 co-main event.

Other Contenders: Taila Santos, Seika Izawa, Raquel Pennington, Larissa Pacheco, Kayla Harrison.

Sherdog’s divisional and pound-for-pound rankings are compiled by a panel of Sherdog.com staff members and contributors: Tristen Critchfield, Mike Fridley, Brian Knapp, Ben Duffy, Jay Pettry, Marcelo Alonso, Keith Shillan, Tyler Treese, Sayan Nag and Robert Sargent.