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Women’s Flyweight
1. Alexa Grasso (16-3) | UFC [1]
Those who were looking ahead to Valentina Shevchenko’s next title defense against Erin Blanchfield obviously forgot about Grasso. The Mexican standout authored what figures to be one of the biggest upsets of 2023, as she submitted Shevchenko in the fourth-round of their co-headlining encounter at UFC 285. Grasso extends her own winning streak to five and becomes the third female flyweight title holder in UFC history. Considering Shevchenko’s previous dominance, an immediate rematch could be in store for Grasso’s first title defense.2. Valentina Shevchenko (23-4) | UFC [2]
Shevchenko lost in stunning fashion at UFC 285, falling victim to a face crank from Alexa Grasso after missing the mark on an ill-advised spinning back kick in the fourth-round of their co-main event encounter. Given Shevchenko’s struggles against Taila Santos in her previous outing, perhaps her fall against Grasso shouldn’t be so surprising. Regardless, “Bullet’s” dominance at 125 pounds will likely warrant another championship opportunity — perhaps in a rematch with Grasso — in the near future.3. Liz Carmouche (19-7) | Bellator [3]
Down 3-0 on the scorecards in her rematch against DeAnna Bennett, Carmouche showed her mettle with a fourth-round submission victory in the Bellator 294 headliner in Honolulu. Though her opponent missed weight, Carmouche risked vacating the 125-pound strap had she suffered an upset loss. Instead, “Girl-Rilla” has won six consecutive fights since signing with Bellator MMA. Next on the agenda could be a title defense against friend and Team Hurricane Awesome training partner Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.4. Erin Blanchfield (11-1) UFC [4]
While Blanchfield has been on the radar as a future contender for some time now, her ascent to the top of the flyweight division accelerated following a second-round submission of Jessica Andrade in the UFC Fight Night 219 headliner. With five consecutive victories in UFC competition — including three via submission — “Cold Blooded” appears to be a serious threat to the top of the division. It’s possible that her opportunity won’t come until after Valentina Shevchenko gets a rematch against new flyweight queen Alexa Grasso, however.5. Jessica Andrade (24-11) | UFC [5]
Andrade suffered her second straight loss inside the distance at UFC 288, coming out on the wrong end of a wild slugfest against Xiaonan Yan in the first round of their strawweight encounter on May 6 in Newark, New Jersey. The shocking knockout defeat comes on the heels of her short-notice submission loss to Erin Blanchfield in February and leaves the former 115-pound champ and 125-pound title challenger suddenly looking like a woman without a clear way back into contention in either weight class.6. Manon Fiorot (10-1) | UFC [6]
Unfazed by her opponent’s weight miss one day prior, Fiorot outdueled Katlyn Chookagian on the feet en route to a unanimous decision triumph at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. It wasn’t an overwhelming performance for the Frenchwoman, but the victory is nonetheless significant because it isn’t easy to look good against Chookagian. “The Beast” has won five straight in UFC competition and 10 in a row overall.7. Juliana Velasquez (12-2) | Bellator [7]
Velasquez had at least a somewhat legitimate gripe that her first meeting with Liz Carmouche was stopped prematurely, but that wasn’t the case the second time around, as “Girl-Rilla” overwhelmed the Brazilian for a second-round armbar finish in the Bellator 289 co-main event. After posting victories in her first 12 professional outings, the 36-year-old Team Nogueira representative has dropped back-to-back fights, making another title shot unlikely as long as Carmouche holds the strap.8. Katlyn Chookagian (18-5) | UFC [8]
After missing weight by 1.5 pounds, Chookagian’s typical game plan fell flat against Manon Fiorot, as she dropped a unanimous decision at UFC 280. In a bout that was contested primarily on the feet, Chookagian was competitive as always but usually a step behind her French opponent in seeing a four-bout winning streak snapped. That defeat, coupled with her issues on the scale, keeps “Blonde Fighter” on the outside looking in when it comes to the flyweight title picture.9. Taila Santos (19-2) | UFC [9]
Santos used on clinch work, takedowns and positional control to throw a scare into reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 275, but the Brazilian ultimately came up short in a competitive split-decision defeat. Down the stretch, Santos appeared to be compromised from a partially closed right eye that occurred as a result of an accidental clash of heads in Round 3. Santos’ scheduled return against Erin Blanchfield at UFC Fight Night 219 hit a snag when her cornermen were unable to secure visas for the bout, which ultimately resulted in the Brazilian pulling out of the event.10. Lauren Murphy (16-6) | UFC [10]
Murphy proved to be too tough for her own good at UFC 283, as she absorbed a hellacious beating in a lopsided unanimous decision loss against Jessica Andrade in Rio de Janeiro. The 39-year-old known as “Lucky” still boasts a 6-2 Octagon record since 2019, but she hasn’t been competitive in back-to-back losses to Andrade and Valentina Shevchenko. That likely relegates Murphy to the gatekeeper role in the UFC for as long as she is willing to keep fighting.Other Contenders: Amanda Ribas, Jennifer Maia, Viviane Araujo, Casey O'Neill, Maycee Barber.
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