Women’s Bantamweight
1. Raquel Pennington (16-8) | UFC [1]
Persistence paid off for Pennington, who became a champion 18 bouts into her promotional tenure with a grinding five-round verdict against Mayra Bueno Silva in the UFC 297 co-main event. “Rocky” wore her opponent down with a superior gas tank and grueling clinch work, earning her sixth consecutive UFC triumph in the process. A title defense against Julianna Pena is next for Pennington at UFC 307.2. Kayla Harrison (17-1) UFC [2]
Harrison’s Octagon debut couldn’t have gone much better, as she ragdolled ex-bantamweight champ Holly Holm before locking in a rear-naked choke in the second round of their UFC 300 encounter at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In addition to answering questions regarding her ability to cut to 135 pounds, the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist looks like a ready-made championship contender in her new division. Next, she’ll face Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City.3. Macy Chiasson (10-3) | UFC [3]
Chiasson showcased a dangerous aspect to her game at UFC 303, as she opened a gaping wound on Mayra Bueno Silva’s forehead with a perfectly placed elbow from top position in the second round of their clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 29. That blow ultimately led to a doctor stoppage, giving Chiasson a significant win over a former title challenger. After spending the entirety of 2023 on the sidelines, the Fortis MMA product has kicked off her current campaign with back-to-back triumphs over Pannie Kianzad and Bueno Silva.4. Holly Holm (15-7, 1 NC) | UFC [4]
Holm employed a questionable game plan against Kayla Harrison and paid the price at UFC 300, suffering a second-round submission loss to the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist. While some might have expected “The Preacher’s Daughter” to rely on her striking skills, she instead elected to clinch and was overwhelmed by a powerful foe who previously competed at 155 pounds. While a win would have kept Holm in the title picture, the 42-year-old Jackson-Wink MMA standout has now won just one of her last four Octagon appearances.5. Irene Aldana (15-7) | UFC [5]
Aldana collaborated with Karol Rosa to produce one of the best fights of 2023 at UFC 296, going back and forth for three furious rounds. While Aldana’s decision to ignore Rosa’s leg kicks and simply keep punching rather than defend them directly may have been questionable, it resulted in a fantastic fight, and there are few women at bantamweight who have demonstrated the kind of commitment to low kicks that Rosa showed. The win redeems Aldana’s gun-shy showing against Amanda Nunes in June and leaves her very much in the running for a future bantamweight title shot. Aldana will return to action against Norma Dumont at UFC 306.6. Ketlen Vieira (14-3) | UFC [6]
Vieira relied on takedowns and top pressure to roll to a three-round verdict over Pannie Kianzad at UFC Fight Night 224 in London. The Brazilian has won three of her last four outings, and with a resume that includes victories over the likes of Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, Cat Zingano and Sara McMann, remains very much in the mix at 135 pounds. However, she was forced to withdraw from a proposed clash against Macy Chiasson at UFC Fight Night 234 due to an apparent knee injury. Instead, Vieira will return against Kayla Harrison at UFC 307.7. Norma Dumont (11-2) | UFC [7]
With the women’s featherweight division all but a distant memory in the UFC, Dumont transitioned to 135 pounds at UFC Fight Night 240, where she outpointed the returning Germaine de Randamie at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “The Immortal” currently owns a four-bout winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion, though three of those triumphs occurred at 145 pounds. She’ll look to further improve her status at bantamweight when she meets Irene Aldana at UFC 306.8. Karol Rosa (18-6) | UFC [8]
One fight removed from an entertaining loss to Irene Aldana at UFC 296, Rosa returned to the win column at UFC on ESPN 61, as she bloodied and battered Pannie Kianzad en route to a unanimous decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 10. The Brazilian cut her foe open with elbows in the clinch and hindered Kianzad’s movement with low kicks at range in an impressive overall performance. Rosa has won seven of her 10 Octagon appearances since making her promotional debut in 2019.9. Yana Santos (15-8, 1 NC) | UFC [9]
Santos took out her frustrations on an overweight Chelsea Chandler at UFC on ESPN 61, outstriking her opponent en route to a unanimous decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 10. That snaps a three-bout skid for the Russian, who was coming off a split-decision defeat to Karol Rosa in a foray to 145 pounds. The American Top Team product only needs to string a few more wins together to reach contender status in a perpetually shallow weight class.10. Talita Bernardo (11-4) | Invicta [10]
While Bernardo struggled against top competition during her UFC tenure, the 37-year-old Brazilian seems to have found her stride in recent years. In her latest outing, Bernardo successfully defended her bantamweight strap with a second-round submission of Olga Rubin in the Invicta FC 55 headliner on June 28. The Imperio Fight product has now won five straight contests since parting ways with the UFC in 2019.Other Contenders: Mayra Bueno Silva, Pannie Kianzad, Miesha Tate, Ailin Perez, Nora Cornolle.
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