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Women’s Featherweight
1. Amanda Nunes (19-4)
It wasn’t a breathtaking knockout like some of her recent efforts, but Nunes showed a different aspect of her game at UFC 245. “Lioness” grounded Germaine de Randamie repeatedly and controlled the majority of their fight from top position en route to a unanimous decision victory in a bantamweight title clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Additionally, Nunes had to survive a few moments of adversity — something she hasn’t experienced of late — to earn her 10th straight triumph in the Octagon. Nunes will defend her featherweight crown next when she meets Felicia Spencer at UFC 250 June 6.2. Cristiane Justino (22-2, 1 NC)
Justino looked quite comfortable in her new home, as she overwhelmed Julia Budd for a fourth-round technical knockout victory in the Bellator 238 headliner at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Jan. 25. The victory gives “Cyborg” championships in four major organizations over the course of her career – Bellator, UFC, Invicta FC and Strikeforce – and re-affirms her position as one of the greatest female mixed martial artists of all time. As has been the case throughout her career, the heavy-handed Brazilian could soon find the pickings slim when it comes to challengers in Bellator’s 145-pound division.3. Julia Budd (13-3)
Budd tasted defeat for the first time since November 2011, falling to Cristiane Justino via fourth-round technical knockout in the Bellator 238 main event at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif, on Jan. 25. While “The Jewel” was able to remain competitive early on thanks to her size and strength, she eventually wilted under “Cyborg’s” trademark offensive pressure. Considering her dominance in the division prior to Justino’s arrival, it’s not unreasonable to think that Budd could earn herself a rematch in relatively short order. Regardless, Budd’s losses are just about as impressive as it gets in women’s MMA: Justino, Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes.4. Felicia Spencer (8-1)
As the largest favorite on the UFC Norfolk card, Spencer did as expected, brutalizing foe Zarah Fairn dos Santos with punches and elbows from top position en route to a technical knockout stoppage 3:37 into the opening stanza. Spencer rebounded nicely from her first career defeat at the hands of Cristiane Justino in July 2019 and will get a shot at featherweight gold when she faces Amanda Nunes at UFC 250 in Sao Paulo.5. Arlene Blencowe (13-7)
Blencowe continued to maintain her place as one of the world’s top featherweights at Bellator 233, where she kept the fight upright and consistently landed the better offense against UFC veteran Leslie Smith en route to a unanimous decision triumph. The 36-year-old “Angerfist” has won six of her last seven bouts, and her only losses since 2016 were a pair of narrow defeats to reigning 145-pound queen Julia Budd. As long as the Aussie keeps winning, it may be difficult to deny her a title shot.6. Megan Anderson (11-4)
Anderson made a strong case for becoming the next featherweight No. 1 contender at UFC Norfolk, where she scored a one-punch knockout victory against Norma Dumont Viana 3:31 into the opening frame of their bout on Feb. 29. The 30-year-old Australian has won three of her last four Octagon appearances, a run that also includes first-round finishes against Zarah Fairn dos Santos and Cat Zingano. However, Anderson also has a recent head-to-head defeat against another top contender, Felicia Spencer.7. Jessy Miele (9-3)
Miele won her fourth consecutive bout at Bellator 231, as she battled to a split decision triumph over former title challenger Talita Nogueira on Oct. 25. “The Widowmaker” also boasts a recent win over four-time UFC veteran Elizabeth Phillips on her resume and has finished six of her nine career triumphs inside the distance. More importantly, she has emerged as an interesting new contender in a shallow Bellator 145-pound weight class.8. Talita Nogueira (7-2)
Nogueira began her professional MMA career with seven consecutive triumphs, a streak that included a first-round submission of Amanda Bell in her Bellator debut. That earned the Brazilian a title shot, where she was finished by reigning featherweight queen Julia Budd in the third stanza at Bellator 202. “Treta” returned to action a little more than a year later with more disappointing results, as she dropped a split verdict to Jessy Miele at Bellator 231 for her second consecutive defeat.9. Pam Sorenson (8-3)
Sorenson claimed the vacant Invicta FC featherweight crown in dominant fashion, as she controlled Kailtin Young with takedowns and submission attempts en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory in Kansas City, Kan., on Aug. 9. The 33-year-old Blaine, Minn., native has won three of her last four appearances within the all-female organization.10. Kaitlin Young (10-10-1)
After a stint as a matchmaker with Invicta Fighting Championships, Young came out of retirement in 2018. The 34-year-old Minnesotan ran off a three-fight winning streak within the all-female promotion to earn a shot at the Invicta FC featherweight crown. That opportunity didn’t go as well, as Young dropped a clear-cut unanimous verdict to Pam Sorenson at Invicta FC 36 on Aug. 9.Other Contenders: Amanda Bell, Leslie Smith, Sinead Kavanagh, Olga Rubin, Cindy Dandois
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