Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Women’s Featherweight
1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (28-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [1]
Even at 39 years old, “Cyborg” remains the cream of the crop in the women’s featherweight division. She once again proved her supremacy in the PFL “Battle of the Giants” co-main event, where she outdueled Larissa Pacheco for five rounds to capture the promotion’s Superfights belt. The heavy-handed Brazilian has now captured championships in the UFC, PFL, Strikeforce, Bellator and Invicta, making her perhaps the most accomplished female fighter ever. With a lack of depth at 145 pounds, Justino’s next move will prove to be interesting indeed.2. Larissa Pacheco (23-5) PFL [2]
Pacheco was competitive against Cris Cyborg at PFL “Battle of the Giants” but ultimately the PFL two-division queen was unable to put enough pressure on her fellow Brazilian down the stretch, as she dropped a unanimous verdict in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 19. That snaps a 10-bout winning streak for Pacheco, who has only lost to top-level competition during her MMA career: Cyborg, Kayla Harrison (twice), Germaine de Randamie and Jessica Andrade. Like her opponent in Saudi Arabia, Pacheco could encounter difficulty finding opponents given the lack of options in the featherweight division.3. Sara Collins (6-0) Bellator [3]
Collins staked her claim to a featherweight title shot with a first-round submission victory against Leah McCourt in a No. 1 contender’s bout at Bellator Champions Series London on Sept. 14. Collins dropped her foe with a left hook early before taking McCourt’s back and forcing a tap with a rear-naked choke at the 2:25 mark of Round 1. The undefeated Aussie will look ahead to a potential showdown against reigning Bellator queen Cristiane Justino.4. Norma Dumont (12-2) | UFC [4]
Dumont continued her ascent in the bantamweight division, as she thoroughly outstruck former title challenger Irene Aldana over the course of three rounds in a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph at UFC 306. The Brazilian has won back-to-back fights at 135 pounds over Germaine de Randamie and Aldana, putting her on the short list of top contenders in the weight class. Dumont has won five straight UFC appearances overall, a streak that includes victories at both bantamweight and featherweight. Her rankings eligibility at 145 pounds will expire on Jan. 15, 2025.5. Cat Zingano (14-5) | Bellator [5]
Zingano had built up a good head of steam in her three years since joining Bellator, winning four straight fights to earn a shot at Cristiane Justino’s featherweight strap at Bellator 300. That momentum came to a crashing halt in barely four minutes, as “Cyborg” shrugged off Zingano’s takedown attempts, outstruck her soundly and finally buried her under an avalanche of ground punches in the first round. While she remains on the short list of greatest women never to win a major title, the 41-year-old is left without a clear way forward in Bellator, which does not have a women’s bantamweight division and may be reluctant to let her knock off potential fresh challengers for Justino.6. Leah McCourt (8-4) Bellator [6]
Given a chance to cement a title shot at Bellator Champions Series London, McCourt fell flat against Sara Collins, as she was dropped and submitted in the opening stanza of the featherweight No. 1 contender’s bout. The 32-year-old Northern Ireland native has dropped three of her last five Bellator appearances.7. Sara McMann (14-7) | Bellator [7]
McMann came up short, literally as well as figuratively, in her clash with Leah McCourt at Bellator 300. The onetime UFC bantamweight title challenger struggled on the feet with severe deficits in height and reach, but more concerning for the former Olympic medalist in wrestling was the fact she struggled to bring the fight to the canvas on her terms, while McCourt threw her more than once with apparent ease before the ground-and-pound stoppage late in the first round. The loss blunts the positive momentum of McMann’s successful Bellator debut in April against Arlene Blencowe, and at 43, represents a step back that her title hopes can ill afford.8. Arlene Blencowe (16-10) | Bellator [8]
Blencowe went into hostile territory and emerged victorious at Bellator Champions Series Dublin, as she dropped and submitted SBG Ireland product Sinead Kavanagh in the second round of their featherweight rematch. “Angerfist,” who is now 2-0 against Kavanagh, snaps a two-fight skid under the Bellator banner.9. Aspen Ladd (12-5) Bellator [9]
After Professional Fighters League eliminated its featherweight division for the 2024 season, Ladd transitioned to Bellator MMA, where she earned a three-round verdict against Katerina Shakalova at Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17. Ladd is now 3-1 in 145-pound bouts in PFL and Bellator — her loss to Kayla Harrison occurred at a 150-pound catchweight — with victories over Shakalova, Karolina Sobek and Julia Budd to her credit.10. Julia Budd (17-6) | PFL [10]
Budd got back on the winning track during a Professional Fighters League regular season event in June 2023, taking a unanimous decision triumph against Martina Jindrova. The former Bellator featherweight queen was then scheduled for a showcase fight against Kayla Harrison at the promotion’s championship event this past November before Budd withdrew from the bout. PFL doesn’t have a featherweight division for its 2024 season, so a return to action for Budd would likely mean competing under the Bellator banner for the first time since 2021.Other Contenders: Michelle Montague,Sinead Kavanagh, Katerina Shakalova, Jackie Cataline, Riley Martinez.
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