Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Women’s Bantamweight

1. Holly Holm (10-0)

At UFC 193, Holm did what a dozen women before her could not: beat Ronda Rousey. The former boxing champion executed a perfect game plan which led to a second-round knockout that will be replayed for years to come and in the process snatched Rousey’s mantle as the toughest 135-pound woman on the planet. Holm may not have the flashiest résumé -- her most significant win before Rousey was against borderline top-15 entrant Marion Reneau -- but her striking pedigree makes her a threat to virtually every woman in the division.

2. Ronda Rousey (12-1)

Rousey was on the receiving end of a Holly Holm head kick knockout that was equal parts brutal and stunning at UFC 193 on Nov. 14. The first defeat of the decorated judoka’s MMA career came before a record-setting crowd in Melbourne, Australia, and cost her the UFC women’s bantamweight title, shattering her aura of invincibility. Rousey’s immediate plans are uncertain, but a rematch with Holm, perhaps at UFC 200, seems likely.

3. Cat Zingano (9-1)

Like all those before her, Zingano was touted as UFC superstar Ronda Rousey’s toughest challenger to date. The Colorado native wound up as the champ’s quickest victim yet, as an ill-advised flying knee got Zingano caught in a straight armbar after only 14 seconds. However, given Zingano’s impressive and previously unblemished résumé -- with wins over Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes and Carina Damm -- she figures to get another top-10 opponent when she returns.

4. Miesha Tate (17-5)

In a high-stakes bout with Jessica Eye on July 25, Tate once again overcame a slow start and used her well-rounded skill set to claw her way back into the fight. Tagged with punches at the beginning of the bout, Tate floored Eye late in the opening round and never looked back, claiming a unanimous decision after three rounds. Tate appeared bound for a third fight with Ronda Rousey before the champion was dethroned at UFC 193.

5. Alexis Davis (17-6)

Eight years after their first meeting and three years after their second, Davis finally got revenge on old rival Sarah Kaufman with a second-round armbar at UFC 186. The bout was Davis’ first appearance since being punched out in 16 seconds by reigning bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey in July 2014, and the victory brings her UFC record to 4-1. The Canadian recently announced she was pregnant and was taking an indefinite leave from the MMA scene.

6. Amanda Nunes (11-4)

Nunes proved the bookmakers wrong on Aug. 8, when she tore through former title challenger Sara McMann in under three minutes, using potent strikes to set up a rear-naked choke submission. Two years into her Octagon career, the Brazilian’s UFC ledger stands at 4-1, making her an exciting and suddenly viable option in a division starving for new contenders.

7. Sara McMann (8-3)

McMann had surprisingly little to offer Amanda Nunes, as the Olympic wrestler succumbed to a first-round rear-naked choke from the “Lioness” in their brief Aug. 8 encounter. It was the first submission loss in 11 pro fights for McMann, who finds herself on the first losing streak of her career after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Nunes and Miesha Tate.

8. Tonya Evinger (16-5)

Nine years into her career, Evinger has finally found a home on the big stage. The 34-year-old Missouri native captured the vacant Invicta bantamweight title on June 9 with a four-round beatdown of Mexican upstart Irene Aldana and then defended the belt on Sept. 12 with a quicker battering of Pannie Kianzad. Evinger will enter her next title defense riding a career-high eight-fight winning streak.

9. Sarah Kaufman (17-3, 1 NC)

At UFC 186, Kaufman could not do what she had done twice before: beat Alexis Davis. After roughing up Davis with punches in the opening frame, the 29-year-old Canadian was submitted with a second-round armbar -- the submission now responsible for all three losses on Kaufman’s record. The defeat moves her to 1-1 with one no-contest inside the Octagon. Kaufman will be back in action at UFC on Fox 17 on Dec. 19, when she squares off with Valentina Shevchenko in Orlando, Fla.

10. Julianna Pena (7-2)

Sidelined with injuries for a year after winning the 18th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Pena has returned in fine form to pick up a pair of victories in 2015. The 26-year-old collected her biggest win to date at UFC 192, where Pena outmuscled Jessica Eye on the ground to take a unanimous decision and improve to 3-0 inside the Octagon.

Other Contenders: Liz Carmouche, Bethe Correia, Jessica Eye, Pannie Kianzad, Marion Reneau.

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