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Women’s Bantamweight
1. Amanda Nunes (20-4) [1]
Nunes was completely dominant against Felicia Spencer in the UFC 250 headliner, winning a lopsided unanimous verdict that wasn’t as close as the judges’ scorecards (50-44, 50-44, 50-45) indicated. That makes 11 consecutive triumphs for Nunes, who joins Daniel Cormier and Henry Cejudo as the only three fighters to successfully defend UFC titles in two different weight classes. “Lioness” was supposed to return for another 145-pound title defense against Megan Anderson at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 but was forced to withdraw from the bout due to undisclosed reasons. The title bout has been rebooked for UFC 259.2. Germaine de Randamie (10-4) [2]
De Randamie showcased a new element to her game at UFC on ESPN 16, as she submitted Julianna Pena with a guillotine choke in the third round of their bantamweight encounter at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 3. It was the first submission victory ever for the Dutch kickboxer, who rebounded from a five-round defeat to Amanda Nunes in a title bout at UFC 245 last December. De Randamie has won six of her eight promotional appearances, with her only two defeats both coming at the hands of Nunes.3. Holly Holm (14-5) [3]
Holm put together one of her most complete performances in recent memory at UFC on ESPN 16, as she dominated Irene Aldana for five rounds in the evening’s headliner at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 3. Even at 39 years old, Holm appears to be a cut above all but a handful of women in the bantamweight division. The Jackson-Wink MMA stalwart has rebounded from a brutal knockout loss to Amanda Nunes with back-to-back decision triumphs over Aldana and Raquel Pennington in 2020.4. Aspen Ladd (9-1) [4]
Ladd rebounded from her disappointing loss to Germaine de Randamie this past summer in resounding fashion at UFC on ESPN 7, as she scored a third-round technical knockout victory against Yana Kunitskaya in Washington, D.C. One of the bantamweight division’s most ferocious competitors, Ladd has won four of her first five Octagon appearances. Ladd’s return to action against Sara McMann on June 27 was derailed due to a knee injury.5. Raquel Pennington (11-8) [5]
Pennington rode solid clinch work to a three-round verdict over Marion Reneau in a featured contest at UFC on ESPN 11. The former 135-pound title challenger has won two of her last three UFC bouts following a difficult 2018 that saw her lose lopsided bouts against Amanda Nunes and Germaine de Randamie.6. Irene Aldana (12-6) [6]
Aldana was positioned as the next bantamweight title challenger heading into UFC on ESPN 16; all she had to do was dispatch former 135-pound queen Holly Holm in the evening’s main event. Of course, that’s easier said than done, and Aldana never found a rhythm in losing a lopsided unanimous decision. The Lobo Gym representative, who has still won five of her last seven Octagon appearances, has some work to climb back to the top of the contender’s pool.7. Yana Kunitskaya (13-5) [7]
It wasn’t pretty, but Kunitskaya bullied Julija Stoliarenko in the clinch for the better part of three rounds to earn a unanimous decision triumph in a featured bout at UFC Fight Night 174 in Las Vegas on Aug. 8. The 30-year-old Russian has been victorious in three of her four promotional appearances at 135 pounds, with her only setback during that time coming at the hands of Aspen Ladd in December 2019. Kunitskaya will return to action with a matchup against Ketlen Vieira on Feb. 20.8. Ketlen Vieira (11-1) [8]
Vieira relied on her length and timely takedowns to capture a unanimous decision triumph over Sijara Eubanks at UFC 253, rebounding from a knockout loss to Irene Aldana at UFC 245 last December. The 29-year-old Nova Uniao product has been victorious in five of six Octagon appearances and remains an interesting contender at 135 pounds despite a frustrating 2020 that saw her remain sidelined for the majority of the year due to numerous bout cancellations. Next up, Vieira will lock horns with Yana Kunitskaya on Feb. 209. Julianna Pena (10-4) [9]
Pena survived some early adversity against Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann and rallied to submit her opponent with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their preliminary bantamweight clash at UFC 257. “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner, who has won six of her last eight UFC appearances, believes she is on the brink of a 135-pound title shot against reigning champion Amanda Nunes.10. Sara McMann (12-6) [10]
McMann was able to impose her will through wrestling and top control early in her UFC 257 matchup with Julianna Pena, but the former bantamweight title challenger faded down the stretch and was submitted by “The Venezuelan Vixen” in the third round of their bout in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23. The 40-year-old South Carolinian has lost three of her last four Octagon appearances, with her lone win during that stretch coming against Lina Lansberg at UFC Fight Night 166.Other Contenders: Lina Lansberg, Marion Reneau, Macy Chiasson, Pannie Kianzad, Sijara Eubanks.
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