Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Women’s Flyweight
1. Valentina Shevchenko (23-3) | UFC [1]
Shevchenko survived the most difficult title defense of her career to date, edging Taila Santos via split decision in the UFC 275 co-main event at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore on June 11. For much of the bout, “Bullet” struggled against her Brazilian foe in the clinch and on the mat, but the reigning flyweight queen got stronger as the fight progressed to earn her eighth victory in a UFC championship bout. Given the competitive nature of the fight, perhaps the calls for Shevchenko to move up to bantamweight will cease for the time being, as a rematch with Santos could potentially be in store.2. Liz Carmouche (17-7) | Bellator [2]
When it comes to making good on championship opportunities, the third time was the charm for Carmouche, who came up short in title bouts against Ronda Rousey and Valentina Shevchenko before claiming flyweight gold with a stoppage of Juliana Velasquez in the Bellator 278 main event. The Team Hurricane Awesome product survived an early knockdown before taking Velasquez down and advancing to a mounted crucifix, where she hammered away with elbows to secure a technical knockout victory in the fourth round. Carmouche was likely behind on the scorecards before the controversial finish, which could mean a rematch could be in store sooner rather than later.3. Juliana Velasquez (12-1) | Bellator [3]
Velasquez appeared to be on the right track to victory through three rounds against Liz Carmouche in the Bellator 278 headliner, but that all changed when “Girl-Rilla” secured a mounted crucifix and rained down elbows to force a stoppage with 13 seconds remaining in the period. While Velasquez didn’t appear to be in danger from the strikes, her unblemished record is no longer, and she’ll have to wait and see if the controversial nature of the stoppage grants her an immediate rematch.4. Jessica Andrade (23-9) | UFC [4]
After a three-bout stint at 125 pounds that saw her fail in a bid to capture championship gold against Valentina Shevchenko, Andrade made an impressive return to strawweight with a first-round submission of surging contender Amanda Lemos in the UFC Fight Night 205 main event on April 23. Not only did Andrade reassert herself as a person of interest in the division, but she also authored the first standing arm-triangle choke submission in the history of the Las Vegas-based promotion. Andrade will return to flyweight for a clash with Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris.5. Katlyn Chookagian (18-4) | UFC [5]
It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but Chookagian found a way to win against Amanda Ribas, capturing a split decision in a featured 125-pound affair at UFC on ESPN 36. Chookagian struggled at times against her foe’s takedowns and aggression, but her rangy striking was ultimately enough to get the nod. “Blonde Fighter” probably isn’t next in line for a rematch with Valentina Shevchenko, but if the reigning champion suffers an upset loss or leaves the division, Chookagian would be at the top of the list of contenders. The New Yorker was scheduled to face surging prospect Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris on Sept. 3 but had to withdraw due to injury.6. Taila Santos (19-2) | UFC [6]
Santos used on clinch work, takedowns and positional control to throw a scare into reigning flyweight champion UFC 275, but the Brazilian ultimately came up short in a competitive split-decision defeat. Down the stretch, Santos appeared to be compromised from a partially closed right eye that occurred as a result of an accidental clash of heads in Round 3. Whether that was the difference in the bout will remain a mystery, but Santos figures to at least be in the conversation for an immediate rematch after giving Shevchenko her toughest test at 125 pounds to date.7. Lauren Murphy (15-5) | UFC [7]
Murphy was gun shy from the outset against Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC 266 co-headliner before she was eventually stopped via technical knockout 4:00 into the fourth round of their flyweight title bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. There’s no shame in being outclassed by one of the sport’s best pound-for-pound talents for Murphy, who wasn’t expected to be competitive and saw a five-bout UFC winning streak come to an end in defeat. Next, “Lucky” will welcome Miesha Tate to the flyweight division at UFC Long Island on July 16.8. Vanessa Porto (23-9) [8]
After falling to Liz Carmouche in her promotional debut, Porto rebounded to take a closely-contested split decision triumph against Ilara Joanne at Bellator 263 in Los Angeles. The former Invicta FC flyweight queen has been victorious in five of her last six professional bouts dating back to December 2017. Up next, Porto will square off against Veta Arteaga at Bellator 283 in Tacoma, Wash., on July 22.9. Manon Fiorot (9-1) | UFC [9]
Fiorot continued her ascent through the flyweight division at UFC on ESPN 33, vanquishing former title challenger Jennifer Maia via unanimous decision at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 26. The Frenchwoman has relied on her standup ability to carry her to four consecutive triumphs in the Octagon and looks primed to face another ranked foe in her next outing. The former UAE Warriors flyweight queen has won nine straight professional bouts overall and will get her toughest test to date against Jessica Andrade, a replacement opponent for Katlyn Chookagian, at UFC Paris.10. Alexa Grasso (14-3) | UFC [10]
A highly-touted prospect early in her career, Mexico’s Grasso seems to be delivering on her considerable potential now that she has taken her talents to 125 pounds. After an up-and-down stint in the UFC at strawweight, the Lobo Gym MMA representative is 3-0 in the flyweight division with triumphs over Ji Yeon Kim, Maycee Barber and Joanne Wood to her credit. The Invicta FC veteran will next square off with Viviane Araujo on Aug. 13.Other Contenders: Viviane Araujo, Jennifer Maia, Joanne Wood, Andrea Lee, Casey O'Neill.
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