Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Women’s Strawweight
1. Weili Zhang (25-3) | UFC [1]
While Zhang was potentially robbed of a first-round finish against Xiaonan Yan in the UFC 300 co-main event, the reigning flyweight queen was undeterred, as she kept her focus and rolled to a five-round verdict over her Chinese rival. “Magnum” now has five victories in UFC title bouts to her credit — second most in strawweight history — and she remains head and shoulders above the rest of the contenders in the division. However, Zhang could use another boost like the one she received from her first fight against Joanna Jedrzejcyk in 2020 to raise her star profile to another level.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 (18-4, 1 NC) | UFC [3]
Credit Yan for her resilience at UFC 300. After being choked unconscious at the end of Round 1, the Team Alpha Male product stayed in the fight — even scoring a knockdown against Weili Zhang — before ultimately dropping a clear-cut unanimous decision in the evening’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 13. That snapped a two-fight winning streak for Yan, who has lost three of her last five outings in the Octagon dating back to May 2021. “Fury” will undoubtedly have some work to do if she is to earn another title shot before her UFC career is through.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 (26-12) | UFC [5]
It wasn’t easy, but Andrade authored the more significant moments to capture a split-decision triumph against Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300. Backed by heavy-handed striking and an advantage on the canvas, “Bate Estaca” earned her second consecutive victory at 115 pounds. Andrade has recovered nicely from a three-bout skid suffered in 2023 and remains on the cusp of title contention at strawweight.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 (20-3) | UFC [7]
Jandiroba continued her recent run of success at UFC on ESPN 54, as she outdueled Lupita Godinez for a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The former Invicta FC title holder has won for of her last five Octagon appearances, keeping her squarely in the mix of the division’s title picture.8. Marina Rodriguez (17-4-2) | UFC [8]
While Rodriguez enjoyed her fair share of success striking at range against Jessica Andrade at UFC 300, she wasn’t nearly as successful when her opponent closed the distance, which ultimately led to a hard-fought split-decision loss at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The muay thai stylist has lost three of her last four Octagon appearances, but she is more than capable of shining when given the right stylistic matchup.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. Fairtex will defend her title against Denice Zamboanga on June 8 in Bangkok, Thailand.Other Contenders: Lupita Godinez, Seo Hee Ham, Amanda Ribas, Iasmin Lucindo, Tabatha Ricci.
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