Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Women’s Strawweight

1. Rose Namajunas (7-3)

The first time Namajunas fought for an Ultimate Fighting Championship title, she was 22 years old and had all of three professional fights. A little less than three years later, her second UFC championship bid went, well, just a little bit better. In barely three minutes and as a 6-to-1 underdog, “Thug Rose” tore apart the pound-for-pound queen of the sport, leveling Joanna Jedrzejczyk with a left hook and pounding her out to take the gold and cinch up the 2017 “Upset of the Year.”

2. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (14-1)

With five title defenses under her belt, Jedrzejczyk’s UFC 217 encounter with Rose Namajunas seemed like another day at the office for “Joanna Champion.” Well, we have to strike that nickname, at least for now, as the Polish standout was unseated in devastating fashion in New York. “Thug Rose” knocked her down and forced her to tap to strikes in barely three minutes, handing Jedrzejczyk the first loss of her pro career.

3. Jessica Andrade (17-6)

Andrade notched the biggest win of her career in September, dominating Claudia Gadelha to the tune of a unanimous decision. Immediately following, it seemed like “Bata Estaca” would be paired with fellow former UFC title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz; those plans have changed but not necessarily for the worse. Instead, the Parana Vale Tudo rep will still appear on UFC on Fox 28 in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 24, when she meets rising contender Tecia Torres with potential title shot on the line.

4. Claudia Gadelha (15-3)

In her last two wins over Cortney Casey-Sanchez and Karolina Kowalkiewicz, it seemed Gadelha’s move to the United States to train with Luttrell-Yee MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was paying rich dividends. However, “Claudinha’s” quest for a third crack at Joanna Jedrzejczyk and a second chance at her throne came to a screeching halt in Saitama, Japan, courtesy of Jessica Andrade. Gadelha started strong but faded after the first round, enduring a beating from her fellow Brazilian and dropping her previously ironclad No. 2 status in the division.

5. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (11-2)

“The Polish Princess” was in need of a sturdy bounce-back win following consecutive, dominant losses to Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha. She got one in her native Poland in October, smashing Jodie Esquibel for 15 minutes. It looks liked Kowalkiewicz was going to catch a title eliminator-type bout with Jessica Andrade in February, but the UFC instead opted to line up Andrade against Tecia Torres.

6. Tecia Torres (9-1)

Since losing in their April 2016 rematch, Torres has chased a rubber match with Rose Namajunas, and that was before “Thug Rose” captured UFC gold. Now, “The Tiny Tornado” has taken three wins in a row and is lined up for a fight to put her right on the doorstep of her first UFC title challenge. The American Top Team rep has signed on to face former title challenger Jessica Andrade at UFC on Fox 28 on Feb. 24 in Orlando, Florida.

7. Carla Esparza (13-4)

Just 2-2 in her previous four appearances, Esparza was in a critical position heading into UFC 219 on Dec. 30, as she faced previously unbeaten Team Alpha Male prospect Cynthia Calvillo. With her back against the wall, “The Cookie Monster” made the decision crumble her way, outpointing Calvillo and taking a pivotal unanimous decision.

8. Livia Renata Souza (11-1)

Since losing the Invicta Fighting Championships strawweight title to Angela Hill in May, Souza has rebounded with a brutal beatdown of Invicta atomweight champ Ayaka Hamasaki and a unanimous decision over previously undefeated prospect Janaisa Morandin. The 26-year-old Brazilian has since signed with the UFC, where she figures to make an immediate impact in one of MMA’s very best divisions.

9. Cynthia Calvillo (6-1)

Calvillo was a revelation in 2017, starting out 4-0 with three of those wins coming inside the Octagon. However, the coveted prospect learned a tough lesson to end the year, as she took on the first-ever UFC women’s strawweight champion in Carla Esparza at UFC 219 on Dec. 30. Calvillo was outwrestled and outhustled to a unanimous decision loss, the first of her pro career.

10. Felice Herrig (14-6)

Herrig has been a pro for nearly nine years, but “Lil Bulldog” is just starting to hit her stride. Since her loss to Paige VanZant in April 2015, Herrig is 4-0 and starting to pick off quality opposition. After handing previously undefeated prospects Alexa Grasso and Justine Kish their first losses, the Jeff Curran understudy earned a gritty split decision over Cortney Casey-Sanchez at UFC 218 in Detroit.

Other Contenders: Nina Ansaroff , Angela Hill, Virna Jandiroba, Viviane Pereira, Tatiana Suarez

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