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Women’s Flyweight
1. Valentina Shevchenko (19-3) [1]
Shevchenko continues to look unstoppable in the UFC women’s flyweight division. “Bullet” absolutely overwhelmed Katlyn Chookagian in the UFC 247 co-main event in Houston, eventually trapping her opponent in a mounted crucifix and raining down strikes for a technical knockout stoppage at the 1:03 mark of the third round. Shevchenko has won five straight since dropping a closely-contested split verdict to Amanda Nunes at UFC 215. Her next title defense is will come against Jennifer Maia at UFC 255 on Nov. 21.2. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-0) [2]
Macfarlane was rarely threatened in her latest title defense, as she cruised to a unanimous decision over Kate Jackson in the Bellator 236 headliner at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. Macfarlane was on the verge of a finish in the fourth and fifth rounds, but Jackson relied on her tenacity to survive until the final bell. Macfarlane now has four successful championship defenses to her credit since winning the inaugural 125-pound belt in November 2017. Interesting future challenges loom in the form of streaking flyweight Juliana Velasquez along with recently-signed training partner — and two-division UFC title challenger — Liz Carmouche.3. Liz Carmouche (14-7) [3]
In her highly anticipated Bellator debut on Saturday, Carmouche tapped out DeAnna Bennett with a rear-naked choke after two and a half rounds of back-and-forth grappling. In so doing, the 36-year-old former Marine reaffirmed her status as one of the very best flyweights in the world despite her unsuccessful shot at Shevchenko’s UFC title last August, and subsequent unceremonious dismissal. While “Girl-Rilla” instantly established herself as a flyweight title contender in her new promotion, it remains to be seen what the promotion will do with her next, as that title is currently held by her friend, frequent training partner and self-described “scissor sister,” MacFarlane.4. Vanessa Porto (22-8) [4]
When opponent Karina Rodriguez missed weight prior to their bout at Invicta FC 38, Porto’s flyweight championship defense became a non-title bout. Despite the lowered stakes, Porto was able to earn her fourth consecutive triumph, utilizing takedowns and ground-and-pound to sway the scorecards in her favor in a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph. The 35-year-old Brazilian has won seven of her last nine bouts, with six of those triumphs coming under the Invicta FC banner. Porto has since vacated her Invicta FC crown to sign with Bellator MMA.5. Cynthia Calvillo (9-1-1) [5]
Calvillo established herself as a person to watch at flyweight in the UFC on ESPN 10 headliner, taking a clear-cut unanimous decision over former title challenger Jessica Eye in Las Vegas on June 13. It’s not as though she was unsuccessful at strawweight, either. The Tiger Muay Thai export lost just once in her first seven Octagon appearances at 115 pounds, though she missed weight badly for a majority draw against Marina Rodriguez in December. Next, Calvillo will square off against Lauren Murphy at UFC 254 on Oct. 24.6. Jessica Eye (15-8, 1 NC) [6]
After a solid first round, Eye was unable to combat the grappling of Cynthia Calvillo at UFC on ESPN 10, as she had her back taken repeatedly in a unanimous decision loss at the UFC Apex on June 13. The Ohio native is still 4-2 since dropping from bantamweight to 125 pounds, a mark that includes wins over Katlyn Chookagian and Viviane Araujo.7. Katlyn Chookagian (14-3) [7]
Chookagian gained a small measure of revenge for the lopsided beating she endured at the hands of Valentina Shevchenko in February, as she scored a dominant decision triumph over the champion’s sister, Antonina Shevchenko, at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas. “Blonde Fighter” has won three of her last four Octagon appearances dating back to 2019, with other notable victories against Joanne Calderwood and Jennifer Maia. Chookagian will welcome ex-strawweight queen Jessica Andrade to 125 pounds on Oct. 17.8. Jennifer Maia (18-6-1) [8]
Maia emerged as the new flyweight No. 1 contender at UFC Fight Night 173, where she submitted Joanne Calderwood with a first-round armbar in the evening’s co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The 31-year-old Chute Boxe representative has won nine of 11 professional fights in the UFC and Invicta dating back to 2015. Her latest triumph has earned her a date with reigning champ Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 255 on Nov. 21.9. Lauren Murphy (13-4) [9]
Murphy has quietly emerged as a contender in the shallow flyweight division following a decision triumph over fellow veteran Roxanne Modafferi at UFC on ESPN 11 on June 20. The 36-year-old known as “Lucky” now has three straight wins to her credit, a run that also includes a split verdict against Andrea Lee and a technical knockout of Mara Romero Borella. Murphy will return to action against Cynthia Calvillo at UFC 254.10. Joanne Calderwood (14-5) [10]
Instead of waiting on Valentina Shevchenko to heal up and receive the title shot she was initially promised in June, Calderwood elected to stay active, agreeing to meet Jennifer Maia on short notice at UFC Fight Night 173. That decision ultimately backfired for the Scottish fan favorite, as she suffered a first-round submission loss to Maia in the evening’s co-main event on Aug. 1. Now the Syndicate MMA product will likely need a few more wins to get back to the top of the contender’s queue at 125 pounds.Other Contenders: Roxanne Modafferi, Andrea Lee, Taila Santos, Molly McCann, Maycee Barber.
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