Women’s Strawweight
1. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10-0)
Three months after taking the title from Carla Esparza, the newly crowned UFC strawweight champion laid waste to her first challenger. Jedrzejczyk used punches, kicks and elbows to slice, dice and batter Jessica Penne on June 20 before forcing a merciful referee stoppage late in round three. The Polish striker’s next title defense will come against American Top Team’s Valerie Letourneau at UFC 193 on Nov. 15.2. Claudia Gadelha (13-1)
Gadelha rudely welcomed Jessica Aguilar to the Octagon on Aug. 1 in a three-round unanimous decision which saw the Brazilian utilizing powerful and precise striking, along with some well-timed takedowns. The win secured a title shot for the Nova Uniao black belt, though “Claudinha” will need to recover from a broken finger before rematching Joanna Jedrzejczyk.3. Jessica Aguilar (19-5)
The former World Series of Fighting titlist was outgunned and outclassed in her Octagon debut, as “JAG” was busted up by Brazilian bruiser Claudia Gadelha at UFC 190. The loss snapped a 10-fight winning streak for Aguilar, who held the division’s top ranking as recently as five months ago.4. Carla Esparza (10-3)
Esparza’s reign as inaugural UFC strawweight champion lasted only three months, as “The Ultimate Fighter 20” winner was decimated by Polish puncher Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the co-main event of UFC 185. The Californian relied heavily on her wrestling base to claim the belt but could not take down Jedrzejczyk, leading to a second-round knockout. It was the first stoppage loss of Esparza’s career, and her first defeat since dropping a closely contested split decision to Jessica Aguilar in 2011.5. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (7-0)
Kowalkiewicz encountered her stiffest challenge to date when she went up against Brazilian striker Kalindra Faria at KSW 30, but the Pole emerged with her perfect record intact. Following a submission scare in round one, Kowalkiewicz won the final two frames with short, accurate punches and counterstriking to claim a split decision. In September, it was announced that Kowalkiewicz had signed with the UFC, though her debut has yet to be determined.6. Valerie Letourneau (8-3)
Letourneau cooled some of the hype surrounding Maryna Moroz at UFC Fight Night “Holloway vs. Oliveira” on Aug. 23, as she claimed a three-round unanimous decision over the Ukrainian upstart. The American Top Team-trained Letourneau has quietly pieced together a four-fight winning streak since losing a split decision to Claudia Gadelha in April 2012. Letourneau will need every bit of that momentum when she challenges UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 193 in November.7. Maryna Moroz (6-1)
Moroz could not consolidate her upset of Joanne Calderwood with a second straight UFC victory, as she wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Valerie Letourneau on Aug. 23. Still, the 23-year-old Ukrainian boxer holds considerable promise. Moroz finished her first six opponents, five of them inside one round. Joanne Calderwood was among the victims, as she succumbed to an armbar in just 90 seconds on April 11.8. Joanne Calderwood (10-1)
Fighting before a hometown crowd in Glasgow on July 18, Calderwood survived a first-round assault from last-minute replacement Cortney Casey and pushed back to take a unanimous decision from the UFC newcomer. The win got the Scottish muay Thai stylist back on track after her first MMA defeat, a 90-second submission loss to Maryna Moroz in April. Next up, “Jojo” gets her first headlining slot opposite Paige VanZant on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas.9. Livia Renata Souza (8-0)
Souza became the first woman to stop Finnish grinder Katja Kankaanpaa on April 24, claiming victory and the Invicta FC strawweight title with a fourth-round triangle choke. The bout was Souza’s first outside of her native Brazil, where she began her career with seven straight wins, six of them by way of submission.10. Tecia Torres (6-0)
The “Tiny Tornado” was nowhere to be found at UFC 188, as Torres abandoned her usual combination-heavy standup attack in favor of a more conservative, grinding game plan against fellow striker Angela Hill. Nonetheless, the American Top Team product emerged with a unanimous nod after three rounds, moving her record to 6-0 with all six wins by way of decision. Torres will look to keep her “0” when she meets another striker, Michelle Waterson, at UFC 194.Other Contenders: DeAnna Bennett, Kalindra Faria, Alexa Grasso, Mizuki Inoue, Jessica Penne.