Fighter image: Sachiko Hotaka/Rizin FF | Illustration: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com
Women’s Atomweight
1. Seika Izawa (13-0) | Rizin [1]
Izawa captured the Deep Jewels atomweight title with a second-round ninja choke submission of Si Yoon Park at Deep Jewels 44 on March 24 at New Pier Hall in Tokyo. With the victory — her fourth straight via submission — Izawa claimed her third championship belt and continues to solidify herself as one of the sport’s most impressive lighter weight female fighters2. Si Woo Park (11-5) | Rizin [2]
Park continued her winning ways at Deep: 117 Impact with a first-round TKO win against late replacement Princess The Rocket from Thailand. Since the bout was contested at strawweight, it does not affect Park’s standing at atomweight. Nonetheless, the “Korean Queen Bee” has won six of her last seven outings, with her lone setback coming to Rizin champ Seika Izawa at Rizin 40. With a resume that also includes wins over Ayaka Hamasaki, Kanna Asakura and Rena Kubota, Park remains entrenched as one of the top fighters in the division.3. Ayaka Hamasaki (24-6) | Rizin [3]
Hamasaki couldn’t take Si Woo Park to the canvas in their super atomweight grand prix semifinal matchup at Rizin 38, and as a result she was battered and dropped on the feet en route to a convincing unanimous decision loss. While the 40-year-old ex-champion remains one of the top talents in the division, a 1-3 record in her last four professional appearances suggests that Hamasaki’s best days may be behind her.4. Rayanne Amanda dos Santos (14-7) | Invicta [4]
Dos Santos’ Octagon debut didn’t go as planned, as she dropped a split decision against Talita Alencar at UFC Fight Night 233 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, ending a three-bout winning streak in the process. All is not lost for the former Invicta FC atomweight title holder, however, because a vast majority of observers felt that the Brazilian deserved to get the nod in the bout. Only time will tell if the decision to move to 115 pounds will pay off for dos Santos, who is in the prime of her career at 28 years old.5. Jillian DeCoursey (6-4) | Invicta [5]
DeCoursey ran into a buzzsaw at Invicta FC 53, relinquishing her atomweight title to Rayanne Amanda dos Santos by unanimous decision in a fight that saw her outstruck, outgrappled and outhustled for five rounds by a younger, larger opponent. It was a shocking reversal of recent fortunes for “Lionheart,” who came into the fight on the momentum of back-to-back first-round finishes in her last two Invicta appearances. Whether the setback was just a bump in the road, or an indication of a competitive decline by a 38-year-old working in MMA’s lightest, fastest weight division, will remain to be seen in DeCoursey’s next outing.6. Namiko Kawabata (4-3) | Jewels [6]
Kawabata lost her second consecutive bout at Deep Jewels 42, falling to Si Woo Park via unanimous decision in Tokyo. Kawabata’s previous loss against Machi Fukuda in February occurred at strawweight, so it doesn’t affect her standing here, and her resume is still bolstered by a triumph over the ranked Saori Oshima in March 2022. Kawabata was scheduled to face Jeong Eun Park in the Deep Jewels 44 co-main event on March 24, the fight was canceled days before the event when her opponent suffered an injury in training.7. Si Yoon Park (6-4) Jewels [7]
Park’s bid to retain her atomweight belt came up short in the Deep Jewels 44 main event, where she succumbed to a Seika Izawa ninja choke in the second round of their encounter in Tokyo. That setback snaps a five-bout winning streak for the South Korean, who remains the reigning atomweight queen in the Black Combat promotion.8. Saori Oshima (13-4) | Jewels [8]
Oshima relinquished her Deep Jewels atomweight title when she was defeated by Black Combat champion Si Yoon Park at Deep: 115 Impact on Sept. 18. The setback snapped a five-bout winning streak for “Little Giant,” but she rebounded with a second-round armbar submission victory in a short-notice bout against Claire Lopez at Rizin “Landmark Vol. 8.”9. Jessica Correa Delboni (13-4) | Invicta [9]
Delboni got back into the win column, punishing Danielle Taylor with a bevy of kicks, especially to the legs, and a far superior work rate in their strawweight showcase at Invicta FC 53. The dominant performance puts Delboni’s first-round throttling by then-champ Jillian DeCoursey at Invicta FC 49 last September in the rear view. A win at 115 pounds does not elevate the 29-year-old Brazilian’s standing at atomweight, nor is handing Taylor her fourth straight defeat a promise of future success at strawweight, especially for a fighter of Delboni’s diminutive stature. Nevertheless, after DeCoursey was dethroned later that same night at Invicta 53, the way back to another shot at the atomweight title may not be as much of an uphill climb as it once seemed.10. Rena Kubota (14-5) | Rizin [10]
Kubota returned to the win column at Rizin “Landmark Vol. 9,” taking a three-round verdict against Yu Ri Shim in a super atomweight bout on March 23. After an injury hiatus that lasted nearly a year, the multi-time Shoot Boxing champion will look to enjoy a more active campaign in 2024. The Osaka, Japan, native is now 13-4 under the Rizin banner overall.Other Contenders: Kanna Asakura, Ayaka Watanabe, Satomi Takano, Miki Motono, Jeong Eun Park.
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, Marcelo Alonso, Keith Shillan, Tyler Treese and Rob Sargent.
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