Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Women’s Bantamweight

1. Kayla Harrison (19-1) UFC [1]

After hitting 135 pounds on the nose for the first time, Harrison handled her business at UFC 316, rolling to a second-round submission victory over Julianna Pena to claim bantamweight gold at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7. The two-time Olympic gold medalist has lived up to her advance billing since signing with the UFC, and things only figure to get more interesting in the months to come: After winning the title, Harrison squared off with Amanda Nunes inside the Octagon, setting the stage for a high stakes clash in the near future.

2. Julianna Pena (12-6) | UFC [2]

While Pena did her best to sell the UFC 316 co-main event with some pre-fight animosity, she was no match for Kayla Harrison once the Octagon doors closed. Despite the edge in UFC championship experience, “The Venezuelan Vixen” mounted little in the way of offense before succumbing to a kimura near the end of the second round. That makes two title reigns without a successful defense for Pena, who to her credit might rank among the most unlikely champions in UFC history.

3. Raquel Pennington (16-9) | UFC [3]

Pennington’s storybook title run came to an end – at least for now – as she surrendered the belt to Julianna Pena in a hard-fought split decision at UFC 307. The razor-close fight obliged “Rocky” with the kind of grimy grind that normally favors her, but she nonetheless came up short. Pennington was supposed return to action against Norma Dumont at Noche UFC before an injury forced the ex-champ to withdraw from the bout.

4. Norma Dumont (13-2) | UFC [4]

In a crucial bout for the divisional pecking order at UFC Vegas 110, Dumont did enough to eke out a contentious split decision over Ketlen Vieira, holding her own in a grueling, clinch-heavy battle. With her win total now standing at six, including three straight at bantamweight, the “Immortal” has a solid argument to fight for gold in her next outing—depending on whether the rumored Amanda Nunes comeback fight happens.

5. Irene Aldana (15-8) | UFC [5]

Aldana displayed plenty of heart against Norma Dumont in their bantamweight clash at Noche UFC, but she was outstruck by a whopping 159-to-69 count over the course of three rounds — and also received a nasty gash on her forehead due to an accidental clash of heads — in a unanimous decision defeat. The 36-year-old Lobo Gym MMA product has lost two of her last three outings and has some work to do if she hopes to receive another title shot before the end of her UFC career.

6. Yana Santos (17-8, 1 NC) | UFC [6]

Santos banked two rounds, then held on for a unanimous decision triumph over Macy Chiasson in a preliminary clash at UFC 320 in Las Vegas on Oct. 4. The Russian prevailed despite her opponent missing weight one day prior, which might have allowed Chiasson to put together a strong finish in the third frame. Nonetheless, Santos has won three straight contests within the Las Vegas-based promotion, a run that also includes triumphs over Miesha Tate and Chelsea Chandler.

7. Macy Chiasson (10-5) | UFC [7]

Chiasson’s struggles on the scales continued at UFC 320, where she missed the bantamweight limit by 1.5 pounds before dropping a three-round verdict to Yana Santos at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 4. Ironically, “The Ultimate Fighter 28” winner was one bout removed from a loss to Ketlen Vieira where the contest was moved up to featherweight after it was determined that her opponent couldn’t make 135 pounds. When making weight, Chiasson has looked like a potential force in the division, but it remains unclear if that is something that she can consistently accomplish.

8. Ketlen Vieira (15-5) | UFC [8]

Vieira put in a strong effort at UFC Vegas 110, going toe-to-toe with Norma Dumont for three rounds and doing enough to earn her the nod in the eyes of many observers, but ended up on the wrong end of a close split decision. While the 34-year-old remains ultra-competitive against the best the division has to offer, she is in need of some positive momentum after the Dumont loss and her failure to make weight in May, which forced her bout with Macy Chiasson up to 145 pounds.

9. Ailin Perez (12-2) | UFC [9]

It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but Perez was certainly effective enough to earn a unanimous decision triumph against Brazilian veteran Karol Rosa in their UFC 311 clash. The Argentinian twerking specialist has been victorious in her last five Octagon appearances, making her increasingly difficult to ignore as a potential contender in the women’s bantamweight division.

10. Karol Rosa (19-7) | UFC [10]

Rosa looked largely dominant, outwrestling Nora Cornolle for most of three rounds at UFC Vegas 108 on Aug. 2 to get back into the win column after her January loss to Ailin Perez. That continues the consistently inconsistent pattern set by the 30-year-old Brazilian over the past several years, a stretch that has seen her alternate wins and losses for nine straight fights.

Other Contenders: Jennifer Maia, Talita Bernardo, Mayra Bueno Silva, Jacqueline Cavalcanti, Lucia Szabova.

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