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Women’s Flyweight
1. Valentina Shevchenko (20-3) [1]
It’s gotten to the point where if Shevchenko loses a round, her opponent can claim a moral victory. Although Jennifer Maia banked the second frame in their co-main event bout at UFC 255, the rest of the contest was all Shevchenko, as “Bullet” cruised to a clear-cut unanimous decision title to retain her flyweight crown. Shevchenko has won six straight fights since moving to 125 pounds and now eyes a showdown against either Jessica Andrade or Lauren Murphy.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) [5]
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. Katlyn Chookagian (15-4) [6]
Chookagian may have been overmatched against the likes of Valentina Shevchenko and Jessica Andrade, but “Blonde Fighter” looks to be a difficult matchup for much of the rest of the 125-pound division. Such was the case at UFC 255, where Chookagian befuddled the smaller Cynthia Calvillo for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision triumph on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas. Chookagian’s six flyweight victories are tied for most in the history of the division.7. Cynthia Calvillo (9-2-1) [7]
Calvillo was unable to get inside against Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 255, and the result was a clear-cut unanimous decision defeat in her second appearance at 125 pounds at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Nov. 21. After an impressive five-round showing against Jessica Eye in her flyweight debut this past June, Calvillo struggled against another former title challenger to lose for just the second time in nine Octagon appearances.8. Jessica Eye (15-8, 1 NC) [8]
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.9. Lauren Murphy (14-4) [9]
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 is on the short list of top contenders for reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko.10. Jennifer Maia (18-7-1) [10]
After 10 minutes, Maia was on even terms with Valentina Shevchenko in their flyweight title bout at UFC 255. That proved to be a smokescreen, however, as Shevchenko dominated the rest of the way with sharp striking and timely takedowns to retain her 125-pound belt with a unanimous decision victory. In defeat, the former Invicta FC title holder falls to 3-3 during her tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.Other Contenders: Joanne Calderwood , Roxanne Modafferi, Andrea Lee, Taila Santos, Molly McCann.
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