Women’s Strawweight
1. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (12-0)
After storming ahead late in her championship rematch with rival Claudia Gadelha in July, Jedrzejczyk affirmed her spot as the sport’s top strawweight -- and top woman, period. However, with two wins over Gadelha in less than two years, Jedrzejczyk needed a new foil. At UFC 201, she got it, as fellow unbeaten countrywoman Karolina Kowalkiewicz took out Rose Namajunas to emerge as top contender at 115 pounds. Now, the UFC has a potentially historic bout on its hands between two undefeated Polish women who have a history with one another: Jedrzejczyk owns a win over Kowalkiewicz as an amateur back in 2002.2. Claudia Gadelha (13-2)
Gadelha is one of the best fighters in the world and she showed why in the first 10 minutes of her championship rematch with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at “The Ultimate Fighter 23” Finale on July 8. However, the Brazilian could not maintain her pace over the final three rounds, becoming a sitting duck for the champion’s volume striking. Gadelha finds herself in a tough spot, far ahead of the rest of the division -- the best in women’s MMA -- but a two-time loser to the champion above her.3. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-0)
In what amounted to an unspoken title eliminator, underdog Kowalkiewicz put on a sterling performance against upstart Rose Namajunas in the UFC 201 co-headliner in Atlanta, using her technical clinch attack to overwhelm “Thug Rose” in the second and third rounds. Her deserved split decision win upped her pro record to 10-0 and will give her a chance to rematch the only woman to ever defeat her in MMA, albeit as an amateur, as a historic showdown with fellow undefeated countrywoman Joanna Jedrzejczyk seems likely for the 30-year-old.4. Carla Esparza (11-3)
Returning from a 13-month layoff brought about by shoulder surgery, Esparza got back in the swing of things with a dull but dominant decision win against Brazilian Juliana Lima at UFC 197 on April 23. It was the first bout for “Cookie Monster” since dropping her UFC strawweight title to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in March 2015.5. Rose Namajunas (5-3)
Namajunas entered her UFC 201 co-main event bout with Karolina Kowalkiewicz as a healthy favorite. A win would have earned her a second crack at UFC strawweight gold, likely lining up a showdown with 115-pound queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Instead, despite a fast start from Namajunas, the crafty clinch work of Kowalkiewicz earned her a split decision win and highlighted some of the wrinkles the still-developing 24-year-old has to iron out of her game.6. Tecia Torres (7-1)
Four months after putting on the most dominant performance of her young career, Torres came up short in an April 16 rematch against fellow “Ultimate Fighter” Rose Namajunas. The decision defeat put the first official blemish on Torres’ record, though “The Tiny Tornado” suffered exhibition losses to Carla Esparza and Randa Markos during her time on the reality series.7. Valerie Letourneau (8-5)
Having competed at 135 pounds for much of her career and struggling to make the 115-pound limit, Letourneau looked to have lucked out by securing a 125-pound contest against Joanne Calderwood at the UFC Fight Night in Ottawa, Ontario, on June 18. Instead, Letourneau was outgunned from the outset, taking a hellacious beating to the head and body before being stopped in the third round. With such a decisive loss, the only thing buoying “Trouble” from a slide in these rankings is that they are, after all, strawweight rankings.8. Maryna Moroz (8-1)
Moroz was lined up for a fight with unbeaten Justine Kish at the UFC Fight Night card on Aug. 6 in Salt Lake City, but an injury to Kish resulted in Moroz taking on newcomer Danielle Taylor on short notice. Moroz won a split decision over the little-known Taylor, but the 15-minute fight was difficult to watch, with both women mostly swinging at air in a bout that never really got going.9. Angela Hill (5-2)
Hill captured the Invicta Fighting Championships strawweight title from Livia Renata Souza on May 7, surviving multiple submission attempts to outwork the Brazilian on the feet across 25 minutes. Since exiting the UFC in late 2015, “Overkill” has rattled off three straight wins -- including two nasty knockouts -- and showcased an ever-improving MMA game.10. Alexa Grasso (8-0)
After 17 months away from the cage due to injury, 23-year-old Mexican prospect Grasso returned at Invicta Fighting Championships 18 on July 29 and hammered Jodie Esquibel for 15 minutes. Not only did it pave the way for Grasso to return to these rankings, but it also set up her UFC debut in front of a partisan crowd on Nov. 5, as she takes on Heather Clark in Mexico City.Other Contenders: Jessica Andrade, Joanne Calderwood, Kalindra Faria, Polyana Viana Mota, Livia Renata Souza