Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

---

Women’s Featherweight

1. Amanda Nunes (18-4)

Nunes continued to make her case as the female “GOAT” at UFC 239, where she patiently waited for an opening before dispatching Holly Holm with a head kick and follow-up punches 4:10 into the opening stanza of their co-main event encounter at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That makes nine consecutive victories for “Lioness,” including six in title bouts. With a resume that also includes wins over the likes of Cristiane Justino, Valentina Shevchenko (twice), Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and Germaine de Randamie, the next task is simply finding a suitable challenge for the two-division champion. A rematch with “Cyborg” could be on the horizon.

2. Cristiane Justino (20-2)

It took more than 13 years, but “Cyborg” finally suffered her second professional defeat. Justino was separated from her featherweight crown in emphatic fashion at UFC 232, where she suffered a shocking 51-second knockout loss at the hands of reigning bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes. The heavy-handed Brazilian remains the clear No. 2 in the division, and she’ll look to maintain her standing when she squares off against rising star Felicia Spencer in the UFC 240 co-main event.

3. Julia Budd (13-2)

Budd continued to display her newfound penchant for finishing fights at Bellator 224, as she wiped out the previously unbeaten Olga Rubin at the 2:14 mark of Round 1 in the evening’s headliner in Thackerville, Okla., on June 12. The 36-year-old “Jewel” extended her winning streak to 11 with the fastest stoppage of her career and has now finished three of her last four foes under the Bellator banner. Budd has already targeted matchups with recent signee Leslie Smith or Rizin powerhouse Gabi Garcia in a potential cross-promotional duel.

4. Arlene Blencowe (12-7)

Blencowe dispatched Amanda Bell in emphatic fashion at Bellator 224, rocking her opponent with a right hook behind the ear at the outset and sealing her victory with follow-up punches just 22 seconds after the contest began. “Angerfist” has won five of her last six outings, but considering that her career resume includes a pair of losses to reigning Bellator featherweight queen Julia Budd, a title shot could be difficult to come by until “The Jewel” is dethroned.

5. Holly Holm (12-5)

Give Holm and her team credit: “The Preacher’s Daughter” has maximized her marketability during her UFC tenure. However, Holm’s run may be nearing its end. The Jackson-Wink MMA stalwart never got going against Amanda Nunes in the UFC 239 co-headliner, as she fell victim to her own signature move – a head kick – at the 4:10 mark of the opening stanza. Since her monumental upset of Ronda Rousey, Holm is 0-4 in UFC title bouts, and there seems to be no obvious next move for the 37-year-old following the first KO/TKO defeat of her MMA career.

6. Felicia Spencer (7-0)

Spencer continued her ascent at UFC Rochester, as she tapped out fellow former Invicta FC belt holder Megan Anderson with a rear-naked choke in the opening stanza of their featured featherweight bout. That makes three consecutive triumphs via that same maneuver for the 28-year-old “Feenom,” but none were more significant than her first triumph within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Spencer will quickly move up the food chain at 145 pounds, as she has been booked for a showdown with ex-champ Cristiane Justino at UFC 240 in Edmonton.

7. Megan Anderson (9-4)

The battle of former Invicta titlists did not go Anderson’s way at UFC Rochester, as she was submitted by Felicia Spencer in the opening stanza of their featherweight bout. Anderson has lost two of her three Octagon appearances thus far, and the Aussie’s lone victory over Cat Zingano came in somewhat dubious fashion when her toenail injured her opponent’s eye while throwing a head kick. Still, the 29-year-old Anderson figures to have plenty of opportunity to redeem herself in a division that isn’t exactly overflowing with contenders.

8. Talita Nogueira (7-1)

Nogueira waited nearly three years for her shot at Julia Budd, but that extra time did not make her any more prepared for what awaited her against the reigning Bellator MMA featherweight queen. After nearly being finished by a knee to the body in the second stanza, Nogueira succumbed to a right hand and follow-up punches 4:07 into the third round. Positive moments were few and far between for the Brazilian, who had finished her first seven foes.

9. Olga Rubin (6-1)

Rubin looked overmatched in her bid for featherweight gold against Julia at Bellator 224. Budd put the Israeli fighter in retreat mode with a kick to the body early in their headlining bout, and with Rubin in obvious distress, the reigning champion sealed her victory with a series of punches and a clinch knee at the 2:14 mark of Round 1. For Rubin, there’s no shame in suffering her first career defeat to the likes of Budd, who extended her winning streak to 11 and ranks among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

10. Kaitlin Young (10-9-1)

It’s been a nice run for Young since she elected to come out of retirement. After exiting the sport on a five-bout winless streak, the former Invicta FC matchmaker returned in 2018 and has posted successive triumphs over Reina Miura, Sarah Patterson and Faith McMah – the last two of those coming within the all-female organization. The 33-year-old Minnesotan has a wealth of experience of the course of a career that dates back to 2007, having squared off against the likes of Miesha Tate, Gina Carano, Julie Kedzie, Liz Carmouche and Leslie Smith, to name a few. Next, Young will face Pam Sorenson at Invicta FC 36 on Aug. 9.

Other Contenders: Amanda Bell, Amber Leibrock, Cindy Dandois, Reina Miura, Jessy Miele.

Continue Reading » Women’s Bantamweight