Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Women’s Flyweight
1. Alexa Grasso (16-3-1) | UFC [1]
Grasso proved she was no fluke in the UFC Fight Night 227 headliner, as she battled Valentina Shevchenko tooth-and-nail for five rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The end result was a split draw that provided little in the way of closure for either woman, but it does allow Grasso gets to keep her flyweight crown for at least one more defense. Grasso will coach against Shevchenko on “The Ultimate Fighter 32,” setting the stage for their trilogy later in 2024.2. Valentina Shevchenko (23-4-1) | UFC [2]
Shevchenko displayed a champion’s resolve in her rematch with Alexa Grasso at UFC Fight Night 227, but a split draw kept “Bullet” from regaining the title she held for more than four years. To her credit, Shevchenko rebounded from being dropped for the first time in her UFC tenure in the second round to author a strong performance behind a stiff jab, solid wrestling and positional control. Shevchenko is expected to receive a trilogy bout against her Mexican rival after coaching opposite Grasso on “The Ultimate Fighter 32.”3. Liz Carmouche (20-7) | Bellator [3]
For the second time in a row, Carmouche staked her flyweight strap against a woman who was ineligible to win it, as Ilima-Lei Macfarlane missed weight for their feature tilt at Bellator 300 on Oct. 7, just as DeAnna Bennett did earlier this year. The fight itself was an awkward and tedious affair, as the two close friends and former longtime training partners engaged in a glorified sparring match for four full rounds before the challenger succumbed to a knee injury early in the fifth. While it might have lacked entertainment value, Carmouche’s one-sided handling of the former titleholder ran her Bellator record to 7-0 and affirmed her place as one of the promotion’s most dominant champs. Rather than defend her Bellator title, Carmouche will compete in the 2024 PFL flyweight season.4. Erin Blanchfield (12-1) UFC [4]
Blanchfield staked her claim to the No. 1 contender’s spot at 125 pounds, as she garnered a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph against former title challenger Taila Santos at UFC Fight Night 225 in Singapore. Blanchfield’s six-fight winning streak is currently the longest in the flyweight division, and she’ll look to add to that total when she meets fellow championship hopeful Manon Fiorot at UFC Atlantic City on March 30.5. Manon Fiorot (11-1) | UFC [5]
Fiorot relied on her superior size and power in the UFC Fight Night 225 co-main event, as she captured a unanimous decision triumph against former 115-pound champion Rose Namajunas. That makes six consecutive victories for Fiorot, tying her with Erin Blanchfield for the longest active winning streak in the division. She ranks among the top contenders for the next title shot at 125 pounds, and she’ll get a chance to prove herself as the No. 1 option when she locks horns with Blanchfield on March 30 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.6. Jessica Andrade (25-12) | UFC [6]
In her fifth appearance of 2023, Andrade showcased her trademark power, setting a women’s record with four knockdowns in a second-round technical knockout victory against Mackenzie Dern at UFC 295. The former strawweight champion went 2-3 during her active campaign, with victories over Dern and Lauren Murphy bookending defeats at the hands of Tatiana Suarez, Xiaonan Yan and Erin Blanchfield. She’ll kick off her 2024 with a showdown against Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300.7. Maycee Barber (14-2) | UFC [7]
A gritty effort propelled Barber to a three-round verdict over former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299, potentially moving “The Future” into position for a championship opportunity of her own down the road. Barber has won six consecutive outings since falling to reigning 125-pound queen Alexa Grasso in February 2021, but she may have to take another fight with Grasso slated to coach opposite Valentina Shevchenko on “TUF 32” before a trilogy bout.8. Juliana Velasquez (12-2) | Bellator [8]
Velasquez had at least a somewhat legitimate gripe that her first meeting with Liz Carmouche was stopped prematurely, but that wasn’t the case the second time around, as “Girl-Rilla” overwhelmed the Brazilian for a second-round armbar finish in the Bellator 289 co-main event. After posting victories in her first 12 professional outings, the Team Nogueira representative has dropped back-to-back fights, making another title shot unlikely as long as Carmouche holds the strap. A proposed fight against Paula Cristina dos Santos Silva at Bellator 301 ultimately was scrapped, putting Velasquez’s return on hold.9. Katlyn Cerminara (18-6) | UFC [9]
Though she was typically game throughout, Cerminara ultimately didn’t have enough for Maycee Barber, as she dropped a unanimous verdict in their bout at UFC 299 in Miami on March 9. The New Jersey native has lost back-to-back fights for the first time in her career, and at 35 years old, the former flyweight title challenger appears to be facing a long road back to the top of the division.10. Taila Santos (19-3) | UFC [10]
In her first appearance since coming up short for flyweight gold, Santos faded down the stretch in a unanimous decision loss to fellow contender Erin Blanchfield at UFC Fight Night 225. The Brazilian tagged her foe with straight punches, knees and low kicks in Round 1 but ultimately succumbed to Blanchfield’s relentless pressure and control over the bout’s final 10 minutes. The Astra Fight Team product was a surprising cut from the UFC roster following that two-fight skid. She has since signed with the PFL, where she is expected to take part in the promotion’s flyweight season.Other Contenders: Lauren Murphy, Amanda Ribas, Natalia Silva, Viviane Araujo, Jennifer Maia.
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