Fighter image: Sachiko Hotaka/Rizin FF | lllustration: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com
Women’s Atomweight
1. Seika Izawa (7-0) | Rizin [1]
Izawa displayed impressive resilience against Maria Laura Alves Fontoura in their super atomweight quarterfinal grand prix matchup at Rizin 37, as she survived being trapped in a triangle choke before submitting her previously unbeaten opponent with a guillotine choke in the opening stanza. The reigning Rizin champ has won three straight fights in the Japanese promotion after capturing strawweight gold in the Deep Jewels organization, and she’ll look to continue her momentum in the semifinals of the bracket against Anastasiya Svetkivska at Rizin 38.2. Ayaka Hamasaki (24-5) | Rizin [2]
Hamasaki nearly finished Jessica Aguilar in the opening round of their super atomweight grand prix quarterfinal clash at Rizin 37, but when the stoppage didn’t come, the former champion still managed to cruise to a convincing decision triumph against the former UFC competitor. The 40-year-old Tokyo native returns to the win column after back-to-back losses against current super atomweight queen Seika Izawa. Hamasaki will lock horns with Si Wood Park in the seminfials of the grand prix at Rizin 383. Jessica Correa Delboni (12-3) | Invicta [3]
After losing a contentious split verdict in their first meeting, Delboni was in complete control the second time around against Alesha Zappitella, winning a clear-cut unanimous decision behind stout takedown defense and a variety of damaging punches, elbows and knees in the Invicta FC 45 headliner on Jan. 12. The newly-crowned atomweight queen has won three of her last four under the Invicta banner, but with Zappitella expected to move to 115 pounds, a trilogy doesn’t appear to be likely at this point in time.4. Namiko Kawabata (3-1) | Jewels [4]
After upsetting Saori Oshima in a non-title bout at Deep Jewels 36 in March, Kawabata kept her momentum going with a 37-second technical knockout victory against Yuko Kiryu at Deep Jewels 38 in Tokyo on Sept. 11. Making the victory all the more impressive was the fact that Kiryu was in the midst of a five-fight winning streak and hadn’t been finished since her professional debut in 2015. Kawabata’s 2022 campaign has established her as a talent to watch in the atomweight division going forward — whether that’s in another bout before year’s end or in 2023.5. Saori Oshima (9-3) | Jewels [5]
Oshima relied on a multi-faceted striking arsenal to capture a split-decision triumph against Miyuu Yamamoto at Rizin 36 on July 2 in Okinawa, Japan. It was the second victory under the Rizin banner for the Deep Jewels champion — she also bested Kanna Asakura in October 2021 — and her sixth victory in her last seven professional outings overall. During that stretch, the 27-year-old AACC product’s only defeat came in a non-title bout against Namiko Kawabata at Deep Jewels 36.6. Si Woo Park (8-4) | Jewels [6]
Park scored a significant triumph in the Rizin super atomweight grand prix, as she outpointed Kanna Asakura at Rizin 37. Park has won three consecutive bouts and eight of her last 10 professional outings overall, with her only defeats during that time coming at the hands of Seika Izawa and Saori Oshima. The South Korean will attempt to punch her ticket ot eh super atomweight finals when she faces Ayaka Hamasaki at Rizin 38.7. Alesha Zappitella (9-4, 1 NC) | Invicta [7]
Zappitella’s move to the strawweight division didn’t go as planned, as she suffered a doctor stoppage loss to Emily Ducote after two rounds in the Invicta FC 47 main event on May 11. “Half Pint” has now lost back-to-back title bouts — one at 115 pounds and one at 105 pounds — after compiling a four-fight winning streak from February 2020 to May 2021. It appears that her future will remain in the strawweight division for the time being.8. Rena Kubota (12-4) | Rizin [8]
Kubota punched her ticket to the semifinals of the super atomweight grand prix with a unanimous verdict against Anastasiya Svetkivska at Rizin 37. The Shoot Boxing flyweight queen has won five of her last six appearances under the Rizin banner and rebounds from a loss to Si Woo Park at Rizin 33 in December 2021. Unfortunately, an injury forced Kubota to withdraw from the super atomweight bracket.9. Kanna Asakura (19-7) | Rizin [9]
Asakura’s second bid to win a Rizin super atomweight grand prix ended prematurely, as she dropped a unanimous decision to Si Woo Park in a quarterfinal bout at Rizin 37. The 24-year-old Asakura has lost three of her last four outings dating back to March 2021, a stretch that includes split-decision setbacks against the likes of Saori Oshima and Ayaka Hamasaki.10. Satomi Takano (16-13) | Shooto [10]
Takano had a three-bout winning streak snapped at Rizin 35, where she dropped a unanimous decision to Kanna Asakura in Tokyo on April 17. Prior to that setback, “Sarami” had been victorious in five of her last six professional outings — including a noteworthy five-round verdict over Mina Kurobe in a title bout under the Shooto banner in November 2021.Other Contenders: Mina Kurobe, Jillian DeCoursey, Ana Palacios, Moeri Suda, Miyuu Yamamoto.
Sherdog’s divisional and pound-for-pound rankings are compiled by a panel of Sherdog.com staff members and contributors: Tristen Critchfield, Mike Fridley, Brian Knapp, Ben Duffy, Jay Pettry, Edward Carbajal, Marcelo Alonso, Tudor Leonte, Keith Shillan, John Brannigan, Tyler Treese and Lev Pisarsky.
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