Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Women’s Bantamweight

1. Holly Holm (10-0)

At UFC 193, Holm did what a dozen women before her could not: beat Ronda Rousey. The former boxing champion executed a perfect game plan which led to a second-round knockout that will be replayed for years to come and in the process snatched Rousey’s mantle as the toughest 135-pound woman on the planet. Holm may not have the flashiest résumé -- her most significant win before Rousey was against borderline top-15 entrant Marion Reneau -- but her striking pedigree makes her a threat to virtually every woman in the division. “The Preacher’s Daughter” will defend her belt for the first time against Miesha Tate at UFC 196.

2. Ronda Rousey (12-1)

Rousey was on the receiving end of a Holly Holm head kick knockout that was equal parts brutal and stunning at UFC 193 on Nov. 14. The first defeat of the decorated judoka’s MMA career came before a record-setting crowd in Melbourne, Australia, and cost her the UFC women’s bantamweight title, shattering her aura of invincibility. Rousey is expected to return in 2016, though a rumored rematch with Holm at UFC 200 is now off the table.

3. Miesha Tate (17-5)

In a high-stakes bout with Jessica Eye on July 25, Tate once again overcame a slow start and used her well-rounded skill set to claw her way back into the fight. Tagged with punches at the beginning of the bout, Tate floored Eye late in the opening round and never looked back, claiming a unanimous decision after three rounds. Tate will get another shot at the UFC women’s bantamweight title when she takes on Holly Holm at UFC 196.

4. Alexis Davis (17-6)

Eight years after their first meeting and three years after their second, Davis finally got revenge on old rival Sarah Kaufman with a second-round armbar at UFC 186. The bout was Davis’ first appearance since being punched out in 16 seconds by reigning bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey in July 2014, and the victory brings her UFC record to 4-1. The Canadian has since announced she was pregnant and taking an indefinite leave from the MMA scene.

5. Amanda Nunes (11-4)

Nunes proved the bookmakers wrong on Aug. 8, when she tore through former title challenger Sara McMann in under three minutes, using potent strikes to set up a rear-naked choke submission. Two years into her Octagon career, the Brazilian’s UFC ledger stands at 4-1, making her an exciting and suddenly viable option in a division starving for new contenders. Nunes will take on Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 196 on March 5.

6. Valentina Shevchenko (12-1)

Shevchenko won her Octagon debut on less than two weeks’ notice by using takedowns and powerful clinch work to neutralize Sarah Kaufman at UFC on Fox 17. “Bullet” took home a split decision after three rounds, extending the Kyrgyzstan native’s winning streak to five in a row. Next up for Shevchenko: a March 5 date with Amanda Nunes at UFC 196.

7. Sara McMann (8-3)

McMann had surprisingly little to offer Amanda Nunes, as the Olympic wrestler succumbed to a first-round rear-naked choke from the “Lioness” in their brief Aug. 8 encounter. It was the first submission loss in 11 pro fights for McMann, who finds herself on the first losing streak of her career after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Nunes and Miesha Tate.

8. Tonya Evinger (16-5)

Nine years into her career, Evinger has finally found a home on the big stage. The 34-year-old Missouri native captured the vacant Invicta bantamweight title on June 9 with a four-round beatdown of Mexican upstart Irene Aldana and then defended the belt on Sept. 12 with a quicker battering of Pannie Kianzad. Evinger will enter her next title defense riding a career-high eight-fight winning streak.

9. Julianna Pena (7-2)

Sidelined with injuries for a year after winning the 18th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Pena has returned in fine form to pick up a pair of victories in 2015. The 26-year-old collected her biggest win to date at UFC 192, where Pena outmuscled Jessica Eye on the ground to take a unanimous decision and improve to 3-0 inside the Octagon.

10. Liz Carmouche (10-5)

Carmouche got back in the win column with a contentious decision over Lauren Murphy in April 2015, though the Strikeforce veteran has not competed since that bout. “Girl-rilla” had been outpointed in her previous two outings against contenders Miesha Tate and Alexis Davis.

Other Contenders: Ashlee Evans-Smith, Jessica Eye, Sarah Kaufman, Raquel Pennington, Marion Reneau.

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