Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Women’s Bantamweight
1. Amanda Nunes (22-5) | UFC [1]
Nunes silenced the doubters in emphatic fashion in the UFC 277 headliner, as she captured a convincing unanimous decision triumph against Julianna Pena in their bantamweight championship rematch at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on July 30. Not only did “Lioness” bounce back from her shocking upset loss to Pena in 2021, but she re-established herself as a two-division title holder and arguably the top pound-for-pound female talent in the sport. Trilogy fights against Pena or even Valentina Shevchenko remain possibilities, but Nunes could also defend one of her belts against a new contender in her next Octagon appearance.2. Julianna Pena (11-5) | UFC [2]
The fairy tale ended for Pena at UFC 277, as she was battered and dominated for five rounds in a clear-cut unanimous decision loss to Amanda Nunes in their bantamweight championship rematch at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on July 30. Pena’s grit was on full display against her “Ultimate Fighter 30” coaching counterpart, but other than a few fleeting moments of success, the fight belonged to Nunes. “The Venezuelan Vixen” remains relevant in the division thanks to her massive upset of the two-division champ at UFC 269, but it’s currently unclear if an immediate trilogy is in store.3. Raquel Pennington (15-8) | UFC [3]
Pennington maintained her foothold in the bantamweight division at UFC Fight Night 217, as she garnered a hard-fought — and somewhat contentious — split decision victory against Ketlen Vieira at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas in the promotion’s first event of 2023. That makes five consecutive victories for “Rocky,” who is compiling a resume that could make it difficult to deny her another shot at 135-pound gold after falling short against Amanda Nunes in her first attempt in 2018.4. Irene Aldana (14-6) | UFC [4]
Aldana became the third person in UFC history to finish a fight with an upkick when she drove her heel into Macy Chiasson’s liver for a third-round KO at UFC 279. While the bout was contested at a 140-pound catchweight, it was the type of performance that will keep people talking about the Lobo Gym MMA standout. The 34-year-old Mexican has won four of her last five Octagon appearances, with three of those triumphs coming inside the distance.5. Yana Kunitskaya (14-6, 1 NC) | UFC [5]
Kunitskaya had no answers for Irene Aldana at UFC 264, as she had her nose bloodied before being dropped and finished with ground-and-pound 4:35 into the opening round of their encounter at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 10. The former Invicta Fighting Championships title holder entered the matchup with Aldana having won four of her last five promotional outings, but a chance to make serious headway in the bantamweight division was lost against her Mexican adversary. Kunitskaya will attempt to rebound against ex-bantamweight champ Holly Holm at UFC on ESPN 43.6. Ketlen Vieira (13-3) | UFC [6]
It was close but not quite for Vieira, who dropped a split decision to Raquel Pennington in a featured bout at UFC Fight Night 217. While many observers felt the Brazilian deserved the nod on the scorecards, it’s still nonetheless a momentum killer for a fighter who was coming off back-to-back triumphs over ex-champions Holly Holm and Miesha Tate. A victory over Pennington might have propelled Vieira to the top of the contender’s queue. Instead, it appears the Nova Uniao product still has more work to do at 135 pounds.7. Holly Holm (14-6) | UFC [7]
On the heels of a nearly two-year layoff, Holm couldn’t build on the dominant victory over Irene Aldana in October 2020, as she dropped a contentious split decision to Ketlen Vieira in the UFC Fight Night 206 main event. Holm did well landing in superior volume and controlling much of the bout in the clinch, but ultimately Vieira’s heavier hands proved to be the difference. Holm is never too far from title contention, however, and a victory over Yana Kunitskaya at UFC on ESPN 43 on March 25 could propel her right back into the championship mix at 135 pounds.8. Sara McMann (13-6) | UFC [8]
McMann ended Karol Rosa’s six-bout winning streak at UFC on ESPN 33, capturing a unanimous decision against the Parana Vale Tudo product at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The 2004 Olympic silver medalist’s wrestling was more than enough to get the job done against Rosa, as she secured takedowns in all three rounds of the bantamweight clash. The former 135-pound title challenger was slated to square off against Aspen Ladd at UFC Fight Night 210, but her opponent’s weight-cut issues led to the fight being canceled. McMann’s days at 135 pounds may be numbered after signing with Bellator MMA, where she expects to compete in the featherweight division.9. Pannie Kianzad (16-6) | UFC [9]
Kianzad was successful in her first venture of 2022, as she outpointed Lina Lansberg at UFC on ESPN 34 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on April 16. “Banzai” has quietly been victorious in five of her last six bantamweight appearances in the Octagon, a run that includes triumphs over former title challengers Alexis Davis and Bethe Correia. Kianzad herself still has some work to do to reach the top of the division, but her recent track record makes her one to keep an eye on in the coming months.10. Karol Rosa (16-4) | UFC [10]
Rosa survived an early knockdown and relied on takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound to carry her to a majority decision triumph against Lina Lansberg at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. The Parana Vale Tudo product has won seven of her last eight professional outings, with her lone setback during that time coming at the hands of Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann at UFC on ESPN 33.Other Contenders: Miesha Tate, Julia Avila, Alexis Davis, Mayra Bueno Silva, Talita Bernardo.
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