Women’s Flyweight
1. Alexa Grasso (16-3-1) | UFC [1]
Grasso proved she was no fluke in the UFC Fight Night 227 headliner, as she battled Valentina Shevchenko tooth-and-nail for five rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The end result was a split draw that provided little in the way of closure for either woman, but it does allow Grasso gets to keep her flyweight crown for at least one more defense. Grasso will coach against Shevchenko on “The Ultimate Fighter 32,” setting the stage for their trilogy later in 2024.2. Valentina Shevchenko (23-4-1) | UFC [2]
Shevchenko displayed a champion’s resolve in her rematch with Alexa Grasso at UFC Fight Night 227, but a split draw kept “Bullet” from regaining the title she held for more than four years. To her credit, Shevchenko rebounded from being dropped for the first time in her UFC tenure in the second round to author a strong performance behind a stiff jab, solid wrestling and positional control. Shevchenko is expected to receive a trilogy bout against her Mexican rival after coaching opposite Grasso on “The Ultimate Fighter 32.”3. Manon Fiorot (12-1) | UFC [3]
Fiorot relied on her physical advantages at UFC on ESPN 54, as she cruised to a unanimous decision triumph over Erin Blanchfield in the evening’s main event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Fiorot’s winning streak now stands at seven, and while it wasn’t an especially enthralling performance, it’s hard to deny the Frenchwoman her place as the division’s No. 1 contender. However, Fiorot might have to wait until Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko square off for a third time after coaching on “The Ultimate Fighter 32” — or even longer than that, depending on the result of their trilogy.4. Liz Carmouche (21-7) | PFL [4]
Carmouche effectively ended her longstanding rivalry with Juliana Velasquez at PFL 1, taking a unanimous verdict in San Antonio on April 4 to improve to 3-0 against the Brazilian veteran. With a victory in her first-ever PFL regular season appearance, “Girl-Rilla” figures to be one of the favorites in the flyweight field moving forward. Carmouche will attempt to extend her winnin streak to nine in a rematch against Kana Watanabe at PFL 4.5. Erin Blanchfield (12-2) UFC [5]
Blanchfield appeared to be overmatched by the larger Manon Fiorot in the UFC on ESPN 54 main event, as she struggled to close the distance for 25 minutes in a clear-cut unanimous decision defeat. While Blanchfield deserves credit for staying in her opponent’s face until the final horn, the Elmwood Park, New Jersey native missed out on a golden opportunity to assert herself as the division’s No. 1 contender. Instead, “Cold Blooded” has more questions to answer after seeing her six-bout winning streak come to an end.6. Jessica Andrade (25-12) | UFC [6]
In her fifth appearance of 2023, Andrade showcased her trademark power, setting a women’s record with four knockdowns in a second-round technical knockout victory against Mackenzie Dern at UFC 295. The former strawweight champion went 2-3 during her active campaign, with victories over Dern and Lauren Murphy bookending defeats at the hands of Tatiana Suarez, Xiaonan Yan and Erin Blanchfield. She’ll kick off her 2024 with a showdown against Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300.7. Maycee Barber (14-2) | UFC [7]
A gritty effort propelled Barber to a three-round verdict over former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299, potentially moving “The Future” into position for a championship opportunity of her own down the road. Barber has won six consecutive outings since falling to reigning 125-pound queen Alexa Grasso in February 2021, but she may have to take another fight with Grasso slated to coach opposite Valentina Shevchenko on “TUF 32” before a trilogy bout.8. Katlyn Cerminara (18-6) | UFC [8]
Though she was typically game throughout, Cerminara ultimately didn’t have enough for Maycee Barber, as she dropped a unanimous verdict in their bout at UFC 299 in Miami on March 9. The New Jersey native has lost back-to-back fights for the first time in her career, and at 35 years old, the former flyweight title challenger appears to be facing a long road back to the top of the division.9. Taila Santos (20-3) | PFL [9]
Santos was a heavy favorite entering her PFL debut and performed as such, vanquishing Ilara Joanne with a first-round rear-naked choke in the organization’s opening regular season event in San Antonio on April 4. The Brazilian rebounds from back-to-back losses against Erin Blanchfield and Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC and, thanks to her quick finish, puts herself in a prime position in the PFL flyweight standings. Next, Santos will lock horns with Jena Bishop at PFL 4.10. Rose Namajunas (12-6) | UFC [10]
Namajunas returned to the win column in the UFC on ESPN 53 main event, as she outworked Amanda Ribas for five rounds in a unanimous decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In addition to earning her first career victory at 125 pounds, the former strawweight champion bounces back from a discouraging loss to Manon Fiorot in her flyweight debut.Other Contenders: Lauren Murphy, Amanda Ribas, Natalia Silva, Viviane Araujo, Karine Silva.
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