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Women’s Featherweight
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, it’s more likely that “Lioness” returns to 135 pounds to defend her bantamweight crown in her next Octagon appearance.2. Cristiane Justino (23-2, 1 NC) [2]
Justino’s first featherweight title defense in Bellator was a breeze, as she dominated Arlene Blencowe en route to a rear-naked choke victory in the second round of the Bellator 249 headliner — the first submission triumph of the powerful Brazilian’s MMA career. “Cyborg” has won three straight contests since her upset loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 and appears poised for a dominant reign as 145-pound champ in the California-based promotion.3. Julia Budd (14-3) [3]
When she’s not facing Cristiane Justino, Budd is still just about as dominant as they come. The former featherweight champion was rarely threatened by Jessy Miele at Bellator 244, as she swept the scorecards in convincing fashion at Mohegan Sun Arena on Aug. 21. Few 145-pounders are a physical match for Budd, who has won 12 of her last 13 professional appearances. As long as “Cyborg” is champion, it may take another victory or two for Budd to get another shot at the belt.4. Felicia Spencer (8-2) [4]
Spencer showcased remarkable toughness over the course of a 25-minute beating at the hands of Amanda Nunes in the UFC 250 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on June 6. While surviving until the final horn is a moral victory of sorts, the lopsided nature of the defeat shows that “Feenom” will have a difficult time reaching the top of the division as long as Nunes is 145-pound champion. Spencer will welcome Contender Series alum and boxing veteran Danyelle Wolf to the Octagon on May 22.5. Arlene Blencowe (13-8) [5]
Blencowe was in survival mode against Cristiane Justino from the outset of the Bellator 249 main event, and she eventually succumbed to a rear-naked choke at the 2:36 mark of Round 2 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Oct. 15. Dating back to 2016, the Aussie’s only two losses in nine professional appearances have come at the hands of female pound-for-pound stalwarts “Cyborg” and Julia Budd.6. Megan Anderson (11-5) [6]
Once upon a time, Anderson appeared to be a fearsome featherweight prospect as she rolled to four consecutive knockout victories under the Invicta Fighting Championships banner. The 31-year-old Aussie is undoubtedly still a high-caliber talent in a shallow division, but she looked like a deer in the headlights as she was routed by Amanda Nunes in a 145-pound title bout in the UFC 259 co-main event on March 6. The Glory MMA & Fitness product is now 3-3 in the Las Vegas-based promotion, with no clear direction to take following a devastating defeat.7. Janay Harding (6-5) [7]
Harding took a step toward contention in Bellator’s shallow featherweight division with a three-round verdict over Jessy Miele at Bellator 251 on Nov. 5. The 26-year-old Aussie has now won three of her last four appearances within the California-based promotion after a rough beginning to her professional MMA career.8. Leslie Smith (12-8-1) [8]
A unanimous decision triumph over Amanda Bell at Bellator 245 on Sept. 11 keeps Smith in the thick of things in the promotion’s featherweight division. “The Peacemaker” has won four of her last five professional outings, with a loss to two-time title challenger Arlene Blencowe the only blemish on her ledger during that stretch.9. Kaitlin Young (11-10-1) [9]
Young returned to the win column at Invicta FC 41, taking a convincing unanimous decision triumph over Latoya Walker on July 30. The former matchmaker has won four of her last five professional appearances since coming out of retirement, with her only loss coming at the hands of Pam Sorenson in a 145-pound title bout in August 2019.10. Jessy Miele (9-5) [10]
Miele endured a tough 2020 campaign, dropping unanimous decisions to Julia Budd and Janay Harding under the Bellator MMA banner. There’s no shame in losing to Top 10 featherweights — especially Budd — and “The Widowmaker” will look to gain some positive momentum heading into 2021 in what is generally a wide-open weight class.Other Contenders: Amanda Bell, Sinead Kavanagh, Olga Rubin, Kayla Harrison, Chelsea Chandler.
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