Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Women’s Strawweight
1. Weili Zhang (24-3) | UFC [1]
Zhang bullied Amanda Lemos for five rounds, winning a lopsided decision triumph in the UFC 292 co-main event. Currently on her second reign as strawweight queen, “Magnum” has rebounded from back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas in 2021 to win her last three outings in impressive fashion. With a resume that includes notable wins over the likes of Lemos, Carla Esparza, Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice), Jessica Andrade and Tecia Torres, the Chinese standout ranks among the top females in the sport. She’ll attempt to continue her reign against Xiaonan Yan at UFC 300.2. Carla Esparza (19-7) | UFC [2]
Esparza’s second reign as strawweight champion was as short-lived as the first, as she relinquished the crown to Weili Zhang in a second-round submission defeat in the UFC 281 co-main event. “Cookie Monster” rebuilt her career after the first title bout loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in 2015, and it’s possible she could rise to the top again — especially if the title changes hands. After having a six-bout winning streak snapped in defeat, Esparza will be in line to face another highly ranked foe in her next outing. That won’t come until 2024, as Esparza gave birth to her first child in September.3. Xiaonan Yan (18-3, 1 NC) | UFC [3]
Yan picked up the biggest victory of her career at UFC 288, stunning former champ Jessica Andrade with a huge right hand and follow-up ground strikes in the first round. Yan’s first knockout win in the UFC could not have come at a more opportune time, as it set her up for the promotion’s first all-Chinese title fight against reigning 115-pound queen Weili Zhang at UFC 300.4. Tatiana Suarez (10-0) | UFC [4]
Suarez made a statement at UFC on ESPN 50, submitting former 115-pound champ Jessica Andrade in the second round of their co-main event encounter at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The Millennia MMA product appears to be fully recovered from the injury woes that halted her progress some four years ago, and with a seven-bout promotional winning streak in tow, she is positioned to make a run for strawweight gold. That progress was slowed when an undisclosed injury forced her to withdraw from a proposed clash against Amanda Lemos at UFC 298.5. Jessica Andrade (25-12) | UFC [5]
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 300.6. Amanda Lemos (14-3-1) | UFC [6]
Lemos rebounded from a championship loss to Weili Zhang at UFC 292 last August, as she outstruck Mackenzie Dern on the feet and survived some precarious moments on the canvas en route to a unanimous decision triumph at UFC 298. The 36-year-old Brazilian has been victorious in three of her last four Octagon appearances and remains one of the top strawweights in the Las Vegas-based promotion.7. Virna Jandiroba (19-3) | UFC [7]
Jandiroba took another step forward at UFC 288, putting in a suffocating three-round performance against Marina Rodriguez in a pivotal strawweight matchup. By grounding the taller woman repeatedly and denying her the space and time to uncork her muay thai arsenal, Jandiroba picked up her second straight win. She has now won four of her last five bouts, with the lone loss coming against former contender Amanda Ribas, who now plies her trade at flyweight. Jandiroba was supposed to face Tatiana Suarez at UFC Nashville but was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury.8. Marina Rodriguez (17-3-2) | UFC [8]
After going five rounds with Michelle Waterson-Gomez in a flyweight headliner at UFC on ESPN 24 in May 2021, Rodriguez was much more dominant in their rematch at 115 pounds. The Brazilian muay thai stylist battered her foe with elbows and knees in the clinch before finishing the contest with ground-and-pound for a second-round TKO victory at UFC Fight Night 228. Next, Rodriguez will face Jessica Andrade at UFC 300.9. Mackenzie Dern (13-5) | UFC [9]
A late replacement for Tatiana Suarez at UFC 298, Dern showed great heart in a unanimous decision loss to Amanda Lemos at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. After being dropped and badly hurt in Round 2, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt kept her wits and made Lemos work for her victory down the stretch. The moral victory will likely be small consolation for Dern, who is just 2-4 in her last six UFC outings.10. Stamp Fairtex (11-2) ONE [10]
Already a title holder under the ONE Championship banner in both kickboxing and muay thai, Fairtex became a three-sport queen when she finished Seo Hee Ham at ONE on Prime Video 14 to capture the promotion’s 115-pound MMA belt. The 26-year-old Fairtex Gym standout has won three straight bouts since coming up short in her first championship bid against Angela Lee in March 2022. She’ll next defend her crown against Denice Zamboanga at ONE Championship 166 on March 1.Other Contenders: Lupita Godinez, Seo Hee Ham, Amanda Ribas, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Tabatha Ricci.
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