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After a discouraging flyweight debut against Manon Fiorot, the former 115-pound champion earned her first victory in the new division, outdueling Amanda Ribas over five rounds for a unanimous decision triumph in the UFC on ESPN 53 headliner on Saturday night. While it wasn’t the type of performance befitting a future title contender, it does allow “Thug” Rose to maintain her pound-for-pound status at No. 10.
Elsewhere, Seika Izawa continued her dominance over the rest of the atomweight division when she submitted Si Yoon Park in the Deep Jewels 44 headliner on Sunday in Tokyo. Izawa now has the Deep Jewels atomweight title, the Deep Jewels strawweight title and the Rizin super atomweight title in her possession. As a result, Izawa climbs one spot in the latest pound-for-pound poll to No. 13.
Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.
1. Amanda Nunes (23-5) | UFC [1]
Nunes was rarely threatened in a lopsided unanimous decision triumph over Irene Aldana in the UFC 289 headliner, and she capped off that performance by announcing her retirement from mixed martial arts. “Lioness” exits the sport as a two-division champion and arguably the most accomplished female fighter of all-time with a resume that includes wins over the likes of Cristiane Justino, Valentina Shevchenko (twice), Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, Germaine de Randamie and Julianna Pena. While Nunes leaves a potential trilogy with Pena on the table, she really had nothing left to accomplish in a decorated career. If her retirement holds up, Nunes’ rankings eligibility will expire on June 10, 2024.2. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (27-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [2]
“Cyborg” turned away another challenger with ease, as Cat Zingano found herself outstruck and outwrestled before succumbing to a torrent of ground-and-pound in the first round of their co-headlining tilt at Bellator 300. The win was Justino’s fifth straight in Bellator and sixth since her shocking knockout loss to Amanda Nunes almost five years ago. With Professional Fighters League’s recent purchase of Bellator, Justino appears to be on a collision course with Larissa Pacheco after Kayla Harrison signed with the UFC.3. Alexa Grasso (16-3-1) | UFC [3]
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 2024.4. Weili Zhang (24-3) | UFC [4]
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 300.5. Valentina Shevchenko (23-4-1) | UFC [5]
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.”6. Carla Esparza (19-7) | UFC [6]
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.7. Liz Carmouche (20-7) | Bellator [7]
For the second time in a row, Carmouche staked her flyweight strap against a woman who was ineligible to win it, as Ilima-Lei Macfarlane missed weight for their feature tilt at Bellator 300 on Oct. 7, just as DeAnna Bennett did earlier this year. The fight itself was an awkward and tedious affair, as the two close friends and former longtime training partners engaged in a glorified sparring match for four full rounds before the challenger succumbed to a knee injury early in the fifth. While it might have lacked entertainment value, Carmouche’s one-sided handling of the former titleholder ran her Bellator record to 7-0 and affirmed her place as one of the promotion’s most dominant champs. Rather than defend her Bellator title, Carmouche will compete in the 2024 PFL flyweight season.8. Manon Fiorot (11-1) | UFC [8]
Fiorot relied on her superior size and power in the UFC Fight Night 225 co-main event, as she captured a unanimous decision triumph against former 115-pound champion Rose Namajunas. That makes six consecutive victories for Fiorot, tying her with Erin Blanchfield for the longest active winning streak in the division. She ranks among the top contenders for the next title shot at 125 pounds, and she’ll get a chance to prove herself as the No. 1 option when she locks horns with Blanchfield on March 30 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.9. Erin Blanchfield (12-1) UFC [9]
Blanchfield staked her claim to the No. 1 contender’s spot at 125 pounds, as she garnered a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph against former title challenger Taila Santos at UFC Fight Night 225 in Singapore. Blanchfield’s six-fight winning streak is currently the longest in the flyweight division, and she’ll look to add to that total when she meets fellow championship hopeful Manon Fiorot at UFC Atlantic City on March 30.10. 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: Xiaonan Yan, Raquel Pennington, Seika Izawa,Julianna Pena, Larissa Pacheco.
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.