Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Women’s Featherweight

1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (29-2, 1 NC) | PFL [1]

Even at 40 years old, “Cyborg” remains inevitable. The heavy-handed Brazilian claimed vacant featherweight gold in unusual fashion (at least for her), as she submitted Sara Collins with a face crank in the third-round of the PFL Lyon co-main event on Dec. 13. With the second submission victory of her career, Justino extends her current winning streak to nine — a run that dates back to July 2019. Though retirement might be in the not-to-distant future for the Chute Boxe star, she isn’t showing any sign of slowing down.

2. Larissa Pacheco (23-5) PFL [2]

Pacheco was competitive against Cris Cyborg at PFL “Battle of the Giants” but ultimately the PFL two-division queen was unable to put enough pressure on her fellow Brazilian down the stretch, as she dropped a unanimous verdict in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 19. That snaps a 10-bout winning streak for Pacheco, who has only lost to top-level competition during her MMA career: Cyborg, Kayla Harrison (twice), Germaine de Randamie and Jessica Andrade. Like her opponent in Saudi Arabia, Pacheco could encounter difficulty finding opponents given the lack of options in the featherweight division.

3. Sara Collins (6-1) PFL [3]

Collins had a couple moments against Cristiane Justino at PFL Lyon, but ultimately she proved to be no match for the Brazilian legend, falling via third-round submission in their clash for the vacant featherweight crown on Dec. 13. There’s no shame in losing to “Cyborg,” but after fighting once per year for the past three years, it would be nice to see the Aussie find a more active schedule in 2026.

4. Leah McCourt (8-4) PFL [4]

Given a chance to cement a title shot at Bellator Champions Series London, McCourt fell flat against Sara Collins, as she was dropped and submitted in the opening stanza of the featherweight No. 1 contender’s bout. The 32-year-old Northern Ireland native has dropped three of her last five Bellator appearances.

5. Arlene Blencowe (16-10) | PFL [5]

Blencowe went into hostile territory and emerged victorious at Bellator Champions Series Dublin, as she dropped and submitted SBG Ireland product Sinead Kavanagh in the second round of their featherweight rematch. “Angerfist,” who is now 2-0 against Kavanagh, snapped a two-fight skid under the Bellator banner.

6. Michelle Montague (7-0) UFC [6]

Montague made her Octagon debut at UFC Perth, where she scored a lopsided unanimous verdict over Luana Carolina in a 135-pound contest. “The Wild One” has some work to do when it comes to striking defense, but her size and strength make her an intriguing talent to watch in the UFC’s bantamweight division going forward. With her last PFL featherweight appearance coming in August 2024, her rankings eligibility at 145 pounds will expire on Feb. 16, 2026.

7. Sinead Kavanagh (9-7) PFL [7]

Kavanagh came up short in her rematch with Arlene Blencowe, falling via second-round submission at Bellator Champions Series Dublin in June 2024. After winning four of five bouts from November 2019 to February 2023, the SBG Ireland has dropped consecutive outings against Blencowe and Sara Collins.

8. Jamie Edenden (6-2-1) Invicta [8]

Edenden won her fifth consecutive outing at Invicta FC 61, scoring a second-round knockout of Jackie Cataline at Grand Casino & Resort in Shawnee, Oklahoma on April 4. That comes on the heels of a decision victory over Abigail Montes in the Aussie’s Invicta debut last September. After winning just one of her first four professional appearances, “Snickers” has turned things around in recent years.

9. Joy Pendell (7-2) Invicta [9]

Pendell continued her roll at Supreme Fight Night 10 on Dec. 13, when she submitted PFL veteran Abigail Montes in the opening stanza to capture the promotion’s featherweight crown. That caps off a 4-0 campaign in 2025 for “Killjoy,” who vanquished all four of her opponents via submission.

10. Jaeleen Robledo (5-1) Tuff-N-Uff [11]

Robledo captured featherweight gold at Tuff-N-Uff 150, as she defeated Evelyn Martins via second-round technical knockout on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas. The 22-year-old known as “The Natural” has won five straight outings since dropping her professional debut and could be a talent to watch in the months to come at 145 pounds.

Other Contenders: Zurina Turrey, Riley Martinez, Evelyn Martins, Jackie Cataline, Eman Almudhaf.

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