Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Women’s Bantamweight

1. Amanda Nunes (15-4)

Nunes was initially supposed to defend her bantamweight title for a third time against Raquel Pennington at UFC 219 on Dec. 30, but her challenger suffered a broken leg in an ATV accident and nixed those plans. After a brief flirtation regarding a superfight with Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, Nunes and Pennington have a date locked down for their showdown. They will collide at UFC 224 on May 12 in Rio de Janeiro.

2. Holly Holm (11-4)

At UFC 219 on Dec. 30, Holm came up short in her title challenge against Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. It was the second time in 2017 that “The Preacher’s Daughter” failed to win the UFC women’s featherweight title, as she also fell short earlier in the year against Germaine de Randamie in a battle to crown the inaugural champion. Despite losses in four of her last five contests, Holm continues to be booked in high-profile bouts: She will remain at featherweight and face former Invicta FC champ Megan Anderson at UFC 225 on June 9.

3. Ketlen Vieira (10-0)

Do not be fooled by the split decision result: Vieira was largely dominant in her victory over Cat Zingano at UFC 222 thanks to her takedowns and suffocating top game. After having handily dispatched ex-title challengers in Zingano and Sara McMann in her last two outings -- and with a 4-0 record overall in the Octagon -- the 24-year-old Brazilian should be on the short list of top contenders at 135 pounds.

4. Raquel Pennington (9-5)

A broken leg suffered in an ATV accident on a hunting trip nixed a potential title shot for Pennington at UFC 219 on Dec. 30. Now that “Rocky” appears to have healed from her injuries, she will challenge Amanda Nunes for 135-pound gold at UFC 224 on May 12 in Rio de Janeiro.

5. Tonya Evinger (19-6)

An Invicta bantamweight championship and eight-bout unbeaten streak finally punched Evinger’s ticket to the UFC, though “Triple Threat” was forced to move up to 145 pounds and take a Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino beatdown in July to actualize it. The 36-year-old was scheduled for a proper 135-pound debut in the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 126 on Feb. 18 but was forced out of her bout with Marion Reneau due to injury.

6. Marion Reneau (9-3-1)

It did not look good for Reneau after a round against Olympic silver medalist wrestler Sara McMann at UFC on Fox 28 in Orlando, Florida. Potentially down 10-8 on the scorecards after a discouraging opening five minutes, “The Bruiser” dropped her opponent with a counter right hand and eventually secured a triangle choke submission at the 3:40 mark of the second frame for arguably the biggest win of her career to date. Unbeaten in her last four Octagon appearances, Reneau will next square off against another former title challenger in Cat Zingano at UFC Fight Night 133 on July 14.

7. Sara McMann (11-5)

McMann was in complete control against Marion Reneau in their UFC on Fox 28 clash, as she pounded away on her defenseless opponent from the mounted crucifix in the waning seconds of Round 1. Not getting the finish would come back to haunt the Olympic silver medalist, however, as Reneau rallied to drop McMann and then submit her with a triangle choke in the second stanza. McMann, a former title challenger, has lost two straight for the second time in her UFC tenure.

8. Aspen Ladd (6-0)

Ladd was scheduled to lock horns with Leslie Smith at UFC Fight Night 128, but after Ladd missed weight by 1.8 pounds, Smith elected not to accept the bout. Ladd, who debuted in the Octagon with a stoppage of Lina Lansberg last October, claimed in a social media post that her issues on the scale were due to “certain female circumstances.”

9. Lucie Pudilova (8-2)

Her stock on the rise at 135 pounds, Pudilova has rattled off five wins in six appearances. The 23-year-old Czech last appeared at UFC Fight Night 126 in February, when she walked away with a unanimous decision over “The Ultimate Fighter 18” semifinalist Sarah Moras. With time on her side, Pudilova figures to improve as she gains more experience and develops her skills.

10. Sarah Kaufman (19-4)

Kaufman has re-emerged as player at 135 pounds following her exit from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2015. The former Strikeforce champion has recorded back-to-back victories over Jessica-Rose Clark and Pannie Kianzad -- the latter coming in the Invicta 27 main event on Jan. 27. Kaufman will vie for the vacant Invicta FC 135-pound strap against Katharina Lehner on May 4.

Other Contenders: Irene Aldana, Bethe Correia, Yana Kunitskaya, Lina Lansberg, Leslie Smith

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