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Women’s Bantamweight
1. Julianna Pena (11-4) | UFC [1]
Pena entered UFC 269 as a massive underdog, and she exited the event with the biggest upset of 2021 along with the bantamweight title in tow. A tenacious Pena survived a slugfest with Amanda Nunes and when her Brazilian foe fatigued, “The Venezuelan Vixen” capitalized with a takedown and rear-naked choke submission. Pena, who is victorious in seven of nine Octagon appearances, coached opposite Nunes on “The Ultimate Fighter 30” and will face the Brazilian in a bantamweight championship rematch in the UFC 277 main event.2. Amanda Nunes (21-5) | UFC [2]
Nunes was a victim of 2021’s biggest upset at UFC 269, as she suffered a second-round submission loss to Julianna Pena in the evening’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Nunes emptied her gas tank in a firefight against “The Venezuelan Vixen” in Round 2, and once she was unable to get the knockout, she succumbed to a rear-naked choke to relinquish the bantamweight belt. Nunes coached against Pena on “The Ultimate Fighter 30” and will attempt to regain her title in a rematch at UFC 277 on July 30.3. Raquel Pennington (14-8) | UFC [3]
A short-notice replacement for Irene Aldana at UFC 273, Pennington stepped in without issue and outworked Aspen Ladd en route to a unanimous decision triumph at Vystar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on April 9. The former bantamweight title challenger has crafted a four-bout winning streak — three at 135 pounds — and remains a contender in the division thanks to a resume that includes wins over the likes of Aldana, Miesha Tate and Jessica Andrade.4. Irene Aldana (13-6) | UFC [4]
After a lopsided decision loss to Holly Holm in the UFC on ESPN 16 headliner nixed her championship hopes, Aldana was extremely impressive at UFC 264, as she dominated fellow ranked bantamweight Yana Kunitskaya en route to a first-round technical knockout victory. The only damper on the Team Lobo Gym representative’s latest triumph was her troubles on the scales one day prior, when the Mexican standout missed weight by 3.5 pounds. Nonetheless, Aldana has won six of her last eight Octagon appearances dating back to 2018. Aldana was slated for a matchup with Aspen Ladd at UFC 273 before withdrawing from the contest due to an undisclosed injury.5. Yana Kunitskaya (14-6, 1 NC) | UFC [5]
Kunitskaya had no answers for Irene Aldana at UFC 264, as she had her nose bloodied before being dropped and finished with ground-and-pound 4:35 into the opening round of their encounter at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 10. The former Invicta Fighting Championships title holder entered the matchup with Aldana having won four of her last five promotional outings, but a chance to make serious headway in the bantamweight division was lost against her Mexican adversary.6. Ketlen Vieira (13-2) | UFC [6]
It wasn’t a clear-cut victory, but Vieira was nonetheless able to eke out a split-decision triumph against Holly Holm in the UFC Fight Night 206 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Vieira struggled to get off the fence for large portions of the fight, but to her credit, her punches seemed to have more impact than the strikes of her opponent. Vieira has won three of four UFC appearances and now owns back-to-back victories over ex-champs in Holm and Miesha Tate — a resume that puts her right in the middle of the title discussion.7. Holly Holm (14-6) | UFC [7]
On the heels of a nearly two-year layoff, Holm couldn’t build on the dominant victory over Irene Aldana in October 2020, as she dropped a contentious split decision to Ketlen Vieira in the UFC Fight Night 206 main event. Holm did well landing in superior volume and controlling much of the bout in the clinch, but ultimately Vieira’s heavier hands proved to be the difference. Holm is never too far from title contention, but the controversial defeat knocks her further down the championship queue than she would like to be, and at 40 years old, time in the sport is not on her side.8. Sara McMann (13-6) | UFC [8]
McMann ended Karol Rosa’s six-bout winning streak at UFC on ESPN 33, capturing a unanimous decision against the Parana Vale Tudo product at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The 2004 Olympic silver medalist’s wrestling was more than enough to get the job done against Rosa, as she secured takedowns in all three rounds of the bantamweight clash. Next, the former 135-pound title challenger will square off against Aspen Ladd on Aug. 13.9. Macy Chiasson (8-2) | UFC [9]
It certainly wasn’t a thing of beauty, but Chiasson embraced the grind against Norma Dumont at UFC 274, relying on takedowns and clinch work to capture a split-decision triumph at the Footprint Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 7. “The Ultimate Fighter 28” winner is now 2-1 at featherweight and indicated that she is probably more comfortable competing at 145 pounds going forward. The Fortis MMA product has won three of four promotional appearances since 2020.10. Pannie Kianzad (16-6) | UFC [10]
Kianzad was successful in her first venture of 2022, as she outpointed Lina Lansberg at UFC on ESPN 34 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on April 16. “Banzai” has quietly been victorious in five of her last six bantamweight appearances in the Octagon, a run that includes triumphs over former title challengers Alexis Davis and Bethe Correia. Kianzad herself still has some work to do to reach the top of the division, but her recent track record makes her one to keep an eye on in the coming months.Other Contenders: Miesha Tate, Karol Rosa, Julia Avila, Alexis Davis, Stephanie Egger.
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