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Women’s Featherweight
1. Amanda Nunes (21-5) | UFC [1]
Nunes was a victim of 2021’s biggest upset at UFC 269, as she suffered a second-round submission loss to Julianna Pena in the evening’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Nunes emptied her gas tank in a firefight against “The Venezuelan Vixen” in Round 2, and once she was unable to get the knockout, she succumbed to a rear-naked choke to relinquish the bantamweight belt. Nunes coached against Pena on “The Ultimate Fighter 30” and will attempt to regain her title in a rematch at UFC 277 on July 30.2. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (26-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [2]
It took a little bit longer than their first meeting, but “Cyborg” nonetheless improved to 2-0 against Arlene Blencowe with a unanimous decision triumph in the Bellator 279 main event at Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, on April 23. The reigning featherweight queen has won six straight since her shocking loss to Amanda Nunes in December 2018 and still looks to be head and shoulders above the 145-pound field in Bellator. A potential cross-promotion with, say, the PFL for a superfight with Kayla Harrison would be quite intriguing, however. Whether that’s realistic remains to be seen.3. Macy Chiasson (8-2) | UFC [3]
It certainly wasn’t a thing of beauty, but Chiasson embraced the grind against Norma Dumont at UFC 274, relying on takedowns and clinch work to capture a split-decision triumph at the Footprint Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 7. “The Ultimate Fighter 28” winner is now 2-1 at featherweight and indicated that she is probably more comfortable competing at 145 pounds going forward. The Fortis MMA product has won three of four promotional appearances since 2020.4. Norma Dumont (7-2) | UFC [4]
Dumont struggled to maintain her preferred striking range in a lackluster split-decision loss to Macy Chiasson at UFC 274 on May 7. To make matters worse, Dumont missed weight one day prior. It was a discouraging performance from the Brazilian, who looked like a person of interest at featherweight following consecutive decision triumphs over Aspen Ladd, Felicia Spencer and Ashlee Evans-Smith in her previous three Octagon appearances.5. Felicia Spencer (9-3) | UFC [5]
Spencer returned to the win column at UFC Fight Night 197 with a dominant third-round technical knockout victory against “The Ultimate Fighter 28” winner Leah Letson at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Nov. 13. The victory was much needed on the heels of back-to-back losses to Norma Dumont and Amanda Nunes. Spencer apparently won’t look to build upon her latest triumph, however, as she announced her retirement a few weeks after besting Letson. If it holds up, her rankings eligibility will expire on Nov. 13, 2022.6. Cat Zingano (13-4) | Bellator [NR]
Zingano made her case for a featherweight title shot at Bellator 282, where she cruised to a unanimous verdict against former Invicta FC title holder Pam Sorenson at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The former UFC bantamweight title challenger has won four of her last five and is 3-0 since joining the California-based organization. Zingano turns 40 on July 1, so time isn’t on her side if a featherweight title showdown with reigning champion Cristiane Justino is her goal.7. Arlene Blencowe (15-9) | Bellator [7]
Blencowe displayed toughness in spades in the Bellator 279, but she still came up short for a second time against Cristiane Justino, losing a five-round decision in the evening’s headliner at Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. “Angerfist” is 5-2 in Bellator since 2018, with her only two defeats coming at the hands of the promotion’s featherweight queen. Another title shot seems unlikely as long as “Cyborg” reigns, but Blencowe is a good litmus test for the rest of the divisional up-and-comers.8. Pam Sorenson (9-5) | Bellator [8]
Sorenson was largely outmatched in a unanimous decision loss to Cat Zingano at Bellator 282 on June 24, her second consecutive defeat within the promotion. The former Invicta FC and King of the Cage title holder is on the outside of Bellator championship picture after dropping back-to-back fights to Zingano and Arlene Blencowe, but she could remain a tough gatekeeper for any up-and-coming talents in the weight class.9. Leslie Smith (12-9-1) | Bellator [9]
After falling to Cristiane Justino via first-round TKO in their first meeting at UFC 198, Smith made into the fifth round before being stopped in their rematch at Bellator 259. Making it to the championship rounds against the heavy-handed “Cyborg” is no small feat, but it doesn’t change the fact that Smith is now 0-2 against the ruler of the Bellator’s featherweight division – making it difficult to see a path back to the title for “The Peacemaker.”10. Sarah Kaufman (22-5) | BTC [10]
After a Professional Fighters League stint at 155 pounds failed to result in the anticipated showdown with Kayla Harrison in 2019, Kaufman made her featherweight debut in the main event of BTC 13 “Power” in Ontario, Canada, defeating Jessy Miele via first-round TKO in November 2021. The 36-year-old Zugec Ultimate Martial Arts product and former bantamweight contender could be an interesting addition to any organization looking to bolster its 145-pound division.Other Contenders: Dayana Silva, Janay Harding, Jessy Miele, Marina Mokhnatkina, Amanda Bell.
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