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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. Macfarlane go for defense No. 5 against Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 254 on Dec. 10.3. Liz Carmouche (14-7) [3]
In her highly anticipated Bellator debut, 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,” Ilima-Lei 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. Jessica Andrade (21-8) [NR]
Andrade became the first woman to earn Octagon victories in three different weight classes at UFC Fight Night 180, as she dispatched former flyweight title challenger Katlyn Chookagian with body punches 4:55 into the opening round of their co-main event encounter in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 17. With an impressive victory in her 125-pound debut, the former strawweight queen already looks primed for a title shot in her new weight class.6. 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. Calvillo was slated to square off against Lauren Murphy at UFC 254 before a positive COVID-19 test knocked her out of the fight. Calvillo will instead return to action against Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 255.7. 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.8. Katlyn Chookagian (14-4) [7]
Despite having a significant height and reach advantage, Chookagian couldn’t hold off Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 180. “Blonde Fighter” succumbed to body shots with five seconds remaining in Round 1 for her second loss in her last three promotional outings. The Team Renzo Gracie representative was not competitive in losses to Andrade and Valentina Shevchenko, but she remains a difficult test for fighters looking to make their way into the flyweight Top 10. Chookagian will next square off against Cynthia Calvillo at UFC 255.9. 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. 21.10. Lauren Murphy (14-4) [10]
Murphy continued her march toward title contention at UFC 254, where she tapped out replacement foe Liliya Shakirova with a rear-naked choke 3:31 into Round 2 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24. It was the first career submission victory for Murphy, who is riding a four-bout winning streak in the Las Vegas-based promotion. Murphy pleaded her case for a flyweight title shot next, though a rebooking against original UFC 254 opponent Cynthia Calvillo could also be a viable option.Other Contenders: Joanne Calderwood , Roxanne Modafferi, Andrea Lee, Taila Santos, Molly McCann.
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