Women’s Flyweight
1. Jennifer Maia (15-4-1)
Maia seems to always be in close, competitive decisions lately, but she keeps getting her hand raised. At Invicta 26 on Dec. 8, the Chute Boxe star returned to action for the first time in 15 months and hammered out a tight unanimous verdict over the previously undefeated Aga Niedzwiedz to retain her flyweight title. Maia, who has not lost in over three years, will make her UFC debut against Liz Carmouche on July 14 in Idaho.2. Valentina Shevchenko (15-3)
Already one of the world’s top bantamweights, Shevchenko emphatically announced her presence at 125 pounds at UFC Fight Night 125 in Belem, Brazil on Feb. 3. Paired with Octagon newcomer Priscila Cachoeira, Shevchenko brutalized her Brazilian opponent for nearly two full rounds, winning via rear-naked choke at the 4:25 mark of the middle stanza. “Bullet” now has her sights set on a title shot against reigning UFC flyweight queen Nicco Montano.3. Ariane Lipski (11-3)
Lipski needed five full rounds to dispatch challenger Silvana Gomez Juarez in her second successful flyweight title defense at KSW 42 on March 3. That ended a streak of five consecutive finishes for “The Violence Queen,” who remains one of the most dynamic 125-pounders in the world. With one fight left on her KSW deal, Lipski has expressed interest in taking her talents to the UFC. However, the Polish promotion is known for taking good financial care of its stars.4. Aga Niedzwiedz (10-1)
Niedzwiedz did not leave Invicta 26 with the company’s flyweight title, but the Polish prospect could have easily done so, losing a razor-thin unanimous decision to incumbent champion Jennifer Maia. It was the first career loss for “Kuma,” but at just 22 years old and full of untapped potential, the Grappling Krakow product figures to be an elite flyweight for the foreseeable future.5. Vanessa Porto (20-8)
Porto got back in the win column at Invicta 26 on Dec. 8, pounding out UFC veteran Milana Dudieva in the third round; however, the Brazilian clocked in at 128 pounds and missed weight. Perhaps eager for a more consummate performance, Porto competed on a short turnaround at Invicta 27 on Jan. 13, making weight and choking out fellow Brazilian Mariana Morais in the first round. Porto is now 5-2 over her last seven contests.6. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (7-0)
Bellator MMA built its women’s flyweight division around Macfarlane, so it comes as little surprise that she became the company’s inaugural champion at 125 pounds. “The Iliminator” claimed a second win over Emily Ducote at Bellator 186 on Nov. 3, dominating her en route to a beautiful triangle armbar submission in the fifth round to claim the gold. Macfarlane will make her first title defense against once-beaten Colombian Alejandra Lara in the Bellator 201 headliner on June 29.7. Nicco Montano (4-2)
Montano entered “The Ultimate Fighter 26” as the season’s No. 14 seed with a meager 3-2 pro MMA record. Nevertheless, she became the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight champion, having dominated 14-year veteran Roxanne Modafferi for 25 minutes to take the title on Dec. 1. The onus is now on Montano to prove she is not a placeholder champion that happened to win a reality show. The promotion reportedly wanted to book Montano against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC on Fox 30 on July 28, but the flyweight queen was not able to make the date due to a tonsillectomy and adenoid-removal surgery.8. Roxanne Modafferi (21-14)
Modafferi came up short in her bid to become the UFC’s inaugural flyweight queen at the “The Ultimate Fighter 26” Finale, as she was dominated for 25 minutes by Nicco Montano. “The Happy Warrior” will return to action against another Season 26 alum when she faces Barb Honchak at “The Ultimate Fighter 27” Finale on July 6.9. Rin Nakai (19-2-1)
In the wake of her losses to Miesha Tate and Leslie Smith in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, it became clear Nakai needed to cut to flyweight. The move has paid immediate dividends in the form of a four-fight winning streak, including a first-round stoppage of Young Ji Kim at Deep 82 Impact on Feb. 24.10. Sarah D’Alelio (11-7)
“The Monster” had won four bouts in a row heading into Invicta 23 in May 2017, and a win over Roxanne Modafferi would have been the biggest of D’Alelio’s career, vaulting her into immediate 125-pound title contention in the Invicta Fighting Championships ranks. Instead, Modafferi took over the fight late and unloaded a nasty barrage of punches and elbows on the floor that left D’Alelio bloodied, battered and beaten.Other Contenders: Katlyn Chookagian, Emily Ducote, Andrea Lee, Valerie Letourneau, Sabina Mazo
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