Women’s Flyweight
1. Valentina Shevchenko (26-4-1) | UFC [1]
In one of the most highly-anticipated women’s super fights in recent memory, Shevchenko left no doubt as to who holds the No. 1 spot, as she dominated Weili Zhang for five rounds to earn a unanimous decision in the UFC 322 co-main event. Now tied with Amanda Nunes for the most title fight victories in UFC women’s history, “Bullet” will look ahead to her next challenge at 125 pounds. That could come against the likes of Natalia Silva or Erin Blanchfield, both of whom were mentioned by the champion in her post-fight interview2. Natalia Silva (19-5-1) | UFC [2]
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. Silva will step in replace Alexa Grasso against Rose Namajunas at UFC 3243. Manon Fiorot (13-2) | UFC [3]
One bout removed from a failed title bid against Valentina Shevchenko this past May, Fiorot made a statement at UFC Vancouver, where she dispatched the streaking Jasmine Jasudavicius in just 74 seconds on Oct. 18. The Frenchwoman has been victorious in eight of her nine promotional outings and after ending Jasudavicius’ five-bout winning streak, “The Beast” shouldn’t be too far away from title contention once again.4. 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 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. One such opportunity fell by the wayside when Grasso was forced to withdraw from a proposed matchup vs. Rose Namajunas at UFC 324.5. Erin Blanchfield (14-2) UFC [5]
Blanchfield become the first person to finish Tracy Cortez in the Octagon, as she submitted the Arizonan with a rear-naked choke 4:44 into Round 2 of their preliminary encounter at UFC 322. By avenging a previous loss to Cortez that occurred under the Invicta FC banner in 2019, Blanchfield remains one of the top contenders at 125 pounds. Still just 26 years old, “Cold Blooded” has compiled an Octagon resume that includes victories over the likes of Cortez, Rose Namajunas, Taila Santos and Jessica Andrade.6. Dakota Ditcheva (15-0) | PFL [6]
It was one-way traffic for Ditcheva against Sumiko Inaba in the PFL Cape Town co-headliner, as she cruised to a lopsided unanimous decision triumph in the July 19 bout. The Manchester native went the distance for just the second time in her professional tenure, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. The 26-year-old battered her foe at range and in the clinch with punches, kicks elbows and knees in her first appearance since winning the 2024 PFL flyweight championship. After recovering from a broken hand, “Dangerous” will return to the PFL cage against Denise Kielholholtz on Feb. 7 in Dubai.7. Taila Santos (22-4) | PFL [7]
Santos figured to be the most stern test for Dakota Ditcheva to date, but the Brazilian was largely outclassed in their PFL final matchup, falling via technical knockout 4:41 into the second round of the flyweight title affair. While the one-sided nature of the defeat was something of a surprise, Santos enjoyed a productive 2024 campaign overall, posting a 3-1 mark that included a triumph over Bellator flyweight queen Liz Carmouche. She was supposed return to action as part of PFL’s flyweight tournament against Juliana Velasquez before exiting the event due to a failed drug test.8. Liz Carmouche (25-8) | PFL [8]
Carmouche became a PFL champion on Aug. 15, when she defeated Jena Bishop via third-round knockout in the women’s flyweight final at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. “Girl-Rilla” has now won titles in both Bellator and PFL, and her latest victory could set up an eventual showdown with 2024 PFL queen Dakota Ditcheva. Carmouche has won 12 of her last 13 outings dating back to 2020.9. Maycee Barber (15-2) | UFC [9]
After more than 20 months away, Barber earned her seventh consecutive triumph, taking a hard-fought unanimous decision over Karine Silva in a preliminary bout at UFC 323. “The Future” showed her tenacity when she continued to assert herself even after being rocked by an illegal upkick in the second round. Provided her health holds up, the 27-year-old should be well positioned to fight in a title eliminator in the near future.10. Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-4) | UFC [11]
Jasudavicius saw her momentum come to a screeching halt at UFC Vancouver, where she was rocked and stopped by former title challenger Manon Fiorot in just 74 seconds in the evening’s co-headliner. The 36-year-old Canadian entered the bout on a five-bout UFC winning streak, and a victory over Fiorot could have propelled her to the top of the contender’s queue at 125 pounds. Instead, Jasudavicius will have to go back to the drawing board in her next outing.Other Contenders: Rose Namajunas, Amanda Ribas, Tracy Cortez, Viviane Araujo, Karine Silva.
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