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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. “Lioness” was supposed to return to 135 pounds to defend her bantamweight crown against Julianna Pena at UFC 265 but was forced to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19. The bout has been rescheduled for UFC 269.2. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (24-2, 1 NC) [2]
It took a little bit longer the second time around, but the result was otherwise the same, as Justino defended her featherweight crown with a fifth-round technical knockout of Leslie Smith in the Bellator 259 headliner at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. “Cyborg” previously dispatched Smith via first-round TKO in her Octagon debut at UFC 198 in May 2016. The 35-year-old Chute Boxe representative has won four straight bouts – three in Bellator – since her upset loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 in December 2018. At the moment, Justino appears to have her sights set on a showdown with former UFC bantamweight title challenger Cat Zingano.3. Julia Budd (15-3) [3]
It wasn’t as dominant as the majority of her performances, but Budd nonetheless added another victory to her ledger at Bellator 257, eeking out promotional newcomer Dayana Silva on April 16. The former featherweight queen has been victorious in 13 of her last 14 professional appearances, with her lone defeat coming to current 145-pound champ Cristiane Justino in a title bout at Bellator 238. Budd has signed with Professional Fighters League and will make her debut against Kaitlin Young at the promotion’s 2021 championship event on Oct. 27.4. Norma Dumont (6-1) [4]
Dumont didn’t look like a particularly serious threat to the featherweight division after being knocked out by Megan Anderson in her Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 169. However, back-to-back promotional triumphs – including a split verdict over former No. 1 contender Felicia Spencer at UFC Fight Night 188 – have painted the Brazilian in a different light. She’ll get a chance to make another big statement against former 145-pound title challenger and ex-bantamweight queen Holly Holm on Oct. 16.5. Felicia Spencer (8-3) [5]
A solid favorite heading into UFC Fight Night 188, Spencer was unable to implement her game plan in a split-decision defeat to Norma Dumont at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on May 22. The former Invicta FC queen has now lost three of her last four UFC appearances, with the latest upset defeat being perhaps the most damaging of all. Spencer wasn’t necessarily expected to beat the likes of Amanda Nunes or Cristiane Justino. Dumont, however, is a different story entirely.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 3-3 in the Las Vegas-based promotion, with no clear direction to take following a devastating defeat.7. Arlene Blencowe (14-8) [7]
Blencowe rebounded from a submission loss to Cristiane Justino in a title bout last October, as she defeated Dayana Silva via third-round TKO at Bellator 262 on July 16. The 38-year-old Australian known as “Angerfist” has been victorious in four of her last five promotional appearances dating back to 2018 and her only professional defeats since 2015 have come against the likes of Justino, Julia Budd (twice) and Marloes Coenen.8. Pam Sorenson (9-3) [8]
Sorenson made her first professional mixed martial arts appearance in two years at Bellator 264, where she captured a split-decision triumph over Roberta Samad on Aug. 13. The former Invicta FC featherweight title holder has won four of her last five outings and looks like she could be a potential challenger for Cristiane Justino’s 145-pound belt within the California-based promotion.9. Janay Harding (6-6) [9]
Harding lost for the second time in three outings at Bellator 259, as she succumbed to a Leah McCourt triangle choke 2:42 into Round 2 of their May 21 matchup. Fortunately for Harding, McCourt missed weight by 3.5 pounds, so the setback won’t affect her much in terms of the 145-pound divisional rankings. However, the Aussie also missed an opportunity to propel herself into contention in what remains a very shallow weight class.10. Leslie Smith (12-9-1) [10]
After falling to Cristiane Justino via first-round TKO in their first meeting at UFC 198, Smith made into the fifth round before being stopped in their rematch at Bellator 259 on May 21. Making it to the championship rounds against the heavy-handed “Cyborg” is no small feat, but it doesn’t change the fact that Smith is now 0-2 against the ruler of the Bellator’s featherweight division – making it difficult to see a path back to the title for “The Peacemaker.”Other Contenders: Jessy Miele, Kaitlin Young, Marina Mokhnatkina, Amanda Bell, Sinead Kavanagh.
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