Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Women’s Featherweight
1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (27-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [1]
“Cyborg” turned away another challenger with ease, as Cat Zingano found herself outstruck and outwrestled before succumbing to a torrent of ground-and-pound in the first round of their co-headlining tilt at Bellator 300. The win was Justino’s fifth straight in Bellator and sixth since her shocking knockout loss to Amanda Nunes almost five years ago. With Professional Fighters League’s recent purchase of Bellator, Justino appears to be on a collision course with Larissa Pacheco after Kayla Harrison signed with the UFC.2. Larissa Pacheco (23-4) PFL [2]
Pacheco became the first-two division champion in Professional Fighters League history, as she cruised to a unanimous verdict over Marina Mokhnatkina at the organization’s championship event on Nov. 24. Outside of a leglock attempt in Round 1, Pacheco was rarely threatened in securing her 10th consecutive victory in PFL competition. After upsetting Kayla Harrison to win the lightweight crown in 2022, Pacheco stands out as one of the PFL’s most established stars as the league moves forward following the purchase of Bellator MMA.3. Norma Dumont (11-2) | UFC [3]
Dumont relied on takedowns and top control to earn a unanimous decision triumph against the returning Germaine de Randamie at UFC Fight Night 240. The Brazilian has won four straight in the Las Vegas-based promotion, and with a successful cut to 135 pounds behind her, looks to be a person of interest in a shallow division. However, it doesn’t appear that a return to featherweight is in the cards for Dumont, whose rankings eligibility at 145 pounds will expire on Jan. 15, 2025.4. Cat Zingano (14-5) | Bellator [4]
Zingano had built up a good head of steam in her three years since joining Bellator, winning four straight fights to earn a shot at Cristiane Justino’s featherweight strap at Bellator 300 on Oct. 7. That momentum came to a crashing halt in barely four minutes, as “Cyborg” shrugged off Zingano’s takedown attempts, outstruck her soundly and finally buried her under an avalanche of ground punches in the first round. While she remains on the short list of greatest women never to win a major title, the 41-year-old is left without a clear way forward in Bellator, which does not have a women’s bantamweight division and may be reluctant to let her knock off potential fresh challengers for Justino.5. Leah McCourt (8-3) Bellator [5]
“The Curse” showed up big at Bellator 300 on Oct. 7, pushing Sara McMann around on the feet as well as on the ground en route to a TKO stoppage late in the first round. With the emphatic win, the 31-year-old from Northern Ireland put her competitive loss to Cat Zingano earlier this year in the rearview and reaffirmed her status as one of the top women in the division. An injury suffered in sparring forced McCourt to withdraw from a proposed rematch against Sinead Kavanagh at Bellator 302.6. Sara McMann (14-7) | Bellator [6]
McMann came up short, literally as well as figuratively, in her clash with Leah McCourt at Bellator 300 on Oct. 7. The onetime UFC bantamweight title challenger struggled on the feet with severe deficits in height and reach, but more concerning for the former Olympic medalist in wrestling was the fact she struggled to bring the fight to the canvas on her terms, while McCourt threw her more than once with apparent ease before the ground-and-pound stoppage late in the first round. The loss blunts the positive momentum of McMann’s successful Bellator debut in April against Arlene Blencowe, and at 43, represents a step back that her title hopes can ill afford.7. Sara Collins (5-0) Bellator [7]
Collins continued her ascent at Bellator 299, taking a hard-fought split verdict against hometown favorite Sinead Kavanagh at 3Arena in Dublin. The Australian prospect has made a big impression with victories over ranked foes Kavanagh and Pam Sorenson in her first two promotional appearances, and she figures to be in the thick of the 145-pound title picture going forward.8. Sinead Kavanagh (9-6) | Bellator [8]
Fighting on home soil in Dublin, Kavanagh dropped a split decision to undefeated featherweight prospect Sara Collins at Bellator 299 on Sept. 23. That snapped a two-bout winning streak for the former title challenger, who was coming off back-to-back victories over Janay Harding and Leah McCourt under the Bellator banner.9. Arlene Blencowe (15-10) | Bellator [9]
Blencowe lost her second straight outing at Bellator 294, dropping a three-round verdict to former UFC bantamweight title challenger Sara McMann on April 21. Options currently appear to be limited for 40-year-old “Angerfist” who has twice come up short in featherweight title bouts against reigning Bellator featherweight queen Cristiane Justino.10. Aspen Ladd (11-5) PFL [10 ]
After struggling to make 135 pounds in the UFC, Ladd seems to have found a home with Professional Fighters League at featherweight, earning victories over the likes of Julia Budd and Karolina Sobek. With the PFL removing the weight class from the upcoming season, Ladd will make her Bellator debut against Katerina Shakalova in Paris on May 17.Other Contenders: Julia Budd, Josiane Nunes, Marina Mokhnatkina, Pam Sorenson, Katerina Shakalova.
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