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Women’s Bantamweight
1. Amanda Nunes (21-4) [1]
Nunes extended her winning streak to 12 at UFC 259, where she ran roughshod over Megan Anderson en route to a reverse triangle armbar submission at the 2:03 mark of Round 1. The consensus women’s GOAT now has three wins in 145-pound title bouts to her credit, but there doesn’t appear to be any worthwhile challenges in that division at the moment. With retirement no longer on her mind after the birth of her daughter, “Lioness” returns to 135 pounds to defend her bantamweight crown against Julianna Pena at UFC 265 on Aug. 7.2. Germaine de Randamie (10-4) [2]
De Randamie showcased a new element to her game at UFC on ESPN 16, as she submitted Julianna Pena with a guillotine choke in the third round of their bantamweight encounter at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 3. It was the first submission victory ever for the Dutch kickboxer, who rebounded from a five-round defeat to Amanda Nunes in a title bout at UFC 245 last December. De Randamie has won six of her eight promotional appearances, with her only two defeats both coming at the hands of Nunes.3. Holly Holm (14-5) [3]
Holm put together one of her most complete performances in recent memory at UFC on ESPN 16, as she dominated Irene Aldana for five rounds in the evening’s headliner at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 3. Even at 39 years old, Holm appears to be a cut above all but a handful of women in the bantamweight division. The Jackson-Wink MMA stalwart has rebounded from a brutal knockout loss to Amanda Nunes with back-to-back decision triumphs over Aldana and Raquel Pennington in 2020. Holm was supposed to square off with “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner Julianna Pena on May 8 but was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a kidney condition.4. Aspen Ladd (9-1) [4]
Ladd rebounded from her disappointing loss to Germaine de Randamie in resounding fashion at UFC on ESPN 7, as she scored a third-round technical knockout victory against Yana Kunitskaya in Washington, D.C. One of the bantamweight division’s most ferocious competitors, Ladd has won four of her first five Octagon appearances. Ladd’s return to action against Sara McMann in June 2020 was derailed due to a knee injury, but now fully healthy, she is slated to meet Macy Chiasson on July 24.5. Raquel Pennington (11-8) [5]
Pennington rode solid clinch work to a three-round verdict over Marion Reneau in a featured contest at UFC on ESPN 11. The former 135-pound title challenger has won two of her last three UFC bouts following a difficult 2018 that saw her lose lopsided bouts against Amanda Nunes and Germaine de Randamie.6. Irene Aldana (12-6) [6]
Aldana was positioned as the next bantamweight title challenger heading into UFC on ESPN 16; all she had to do was dispatch former 135-pound queen Holly Holm in the evening’s main event. Of course, that’s easier said than done, and Aldana never found a rhythm in losing a lopsided unanimous decision. The Lobo Gym representative, who has still won five of her last seven Octagon appearances, has some work to climb back to the top of the contender’s pool. That work begins with a showdown against Yana Kunitskaya at UFC 264.7. Yana Kunitskaya (14-5, 1 NC) [7]
Kunitskaya was able to offset the grappling of Ketlen Vieira with an active offensive approach – including a furious barrage of elbows in Round 3 – to earn a hard-fought unanimous verdict in the UFC Fight Night 185 co-main event on Feb. 20. The American Top Team product has now won four of five appearances at 135 pounds in the Octagon and will square off against Irene Aldana in her next promotional appearance at UFC 264.8. Ketlen Vieira (11-2) [8]
Though Vieira controlled much of her UFC Fight Night 185 co-headlining clash against Yana Kunitskaya with her heavy topside grappling, the Brazilian was doomed by her lack of activity. That ultimately allowed Kunitskaya to steal the scorecards thanks to brief bursts of offense, including a barrage of elbows that left Vieira bloodied at the end of the third round. Once regarded as a future title contender at 135 pounds, Vieira has lost two of her last three UFC bouts.9. Julianna Pena (10-4) [9]
Pena survived some early adversity against Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann and rallied to submit her opponent with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their preliminary bantamweight clash at UFC 257. “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner, who has won six of her last eight UFC appearances, was slated to face ex-bantamweight queen Holly Holm at a UFC Fight Night event on May 8 before Holm withdrew.10. Sara McMann (12-6) [10]
McMann was able to impose her will through wrestling and top control early in her UFC 257 matchup with Julianna Pena, but the former bantamweight title challenger faded down the stretch and was submitted by “The Venezuelan Vixen” in the third round of their bout in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23. The 40-year-old South Carolinian has lost three of her last four Octagon appearances, with her lone win during that stretch coming against Lina Lansberg at UFC Fight Night 166.Other Contenders: Lina Lansberg, Macy Chiasson, Pannie Kianzad, Sijara Eubanks, Tracy Cortez.
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