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Women’s Strawweight
1. Rose Namajunas (8-3)
Namajunas got the better of Joanna Jedrzejczyk in their rematch, outpointing her rival over the course of five hard-fought rounds in the UFC 223 headliner at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. What made the triumph more impressive than her first-round stoppage of Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 in November was the fact that Namajunas had to overcome adversity against an opponent who was experienced in five-round affairs. “Thug” Rose will return to the Octagon for the first time in more than a year, when she faces Jessica Andrade in hostile territory at UFC 237.2. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (15-3)
Once regarded as the top female pound-for-pound talent in the sport, Jedrzejczyk now finds herself looking up at the top of two separate divisions following a loss to Valentina Shevchenko for the vacant flyweight strap at UFC 231. While the 31-year-old Poland native showed no quit in the bout, she simply had no clear answers for her opponent over the course of the 25-minute affair. Jedrzejczyk has promised a return to 115 pounds in 2019, but the question remains if the weight cut will prove too draining as she grows older — particularly after moving up a division.3. Jessica Andrade (19-6)
One-punch knockouts are rarely-seen in women’s MMA, so Andrade sent an emphatic message with her first-round finish of fellow former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 228. With that win, “Bate Estaca” may have very well set herself up as the next strawweight No. 1 contender for reigning champion Rose Namajunas. Andrade has won six of her last seven in the Las Vegas-based promotion overall and will get her desired title shot against Rose Namajunas on home soil in Curitiba, Brazil, at UFC 237.4. Tatiana Suarez (7-0)
Suarez has been touted as a future championship contender and she showed why at UFC 228, dominating ex-champ Carla Esparza for nearly three rounds before earning a TKO stoppage late in the fight. The freestyle wrestling ace improved to 4-0 within the Las Vegas-based promotion, giving her the longest active winning streak in the division. Suarez will lock horns with fellow contender Nina Ansaroff at UFC 238 in Chicago.5. Nina Ansaroff (10-5)
Ansaroff authored the most complete performance of her career to date at UFC 231, as she landed offense at range and fended off takedowns en route to a unanimous verdict against former title challenger Claudia Gadelha. After beginning her promotional tenure on a two-bout skid, Ansaroff has won four fights in a row — tying her for the longest active winning streak in the UFC at 115 pounds. That run will set her up for a pivotal contender’s bout against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 238.6. Claudia Gadelha (16-4)
Gadelha may still be one of the world’s 10 best strawweights, but she appears to be far removed from her days of challenging for a title in the UFC. The 30-year-old Brazilian lost for the second time in three outings at UFC 231, as she struggled to close the distance against Nina Ansaroff in a decision defeat. That losing streak could very easily be three, considering the contentious nature of her split-decision victory over Carla Esparza at UFC 225.7. Weili Zhang (19-1)
Make it 19 consecutive professional victories for Zhang, who outdueled Tecia Torres to take a unanimous decision in their UFC 235 encounter. The Chinese star improved to 3-0 in the Octagon, adding Torres to previous victories over Jessica Aguilar and Danielle Taylor. The 29-year-old Black Tiger Fight Club representative figures to get another high-profile foe in her next Octagon appearance.8. Carla Esparza (13-6)
One can never question Esparza’s heart, but that wasn’t nearly enough against the wrestling prowess of Tatiana Suarez at UFC 228. Suarez took Esparza down repeatedly, bludgeoned her with ground-and-pound and eventually earned a stoppage 4:33 into the third frame. After climbing back into contention with back-to-back decisions over Maryna Moroz and Cynthia Calvillo, “Cookie Monster” has dropped two straight fights. She will attempt to get back on track against Livinha Souza at UFC on ESPN 3 on April 279. Livinha Souza (13-1)
Although her opponent missed weight by a whopping seven pounds, Souza was able to earn her second Octagon triumph at UFC Fortaleza, edging the visibly larger and previously unbeaten Sarah Frota via split decision. The former Invicta FC titlist has now won four straight bouts, a streak that includes a UFC win over Alex Chambers and a first-round KO of top-ranked atomweight Ayaka Hamasaki under the Invicta FC banner. Souza will look to continue her momentum when she faces Carla Esparza at UFC on ESPN 3.10. Cynthia Calvillo (8-1)
Calvillo has returned to her winning ways since coming back from a suspension for a positive marijuana test at UFC 219. In her most recent two outings, the Calvillo has bested Cortney Casey and Poliana Botelho to rebound from her lone career defeat, which came at the hands of Carla Esparza at the aforementioned UFC 219 event. The Californian has won five of her six Octagon appearances overall and remains a rising contender at 115 pounds.Other Contenders: Michelle Waterson, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Tecia Torres, Felice Herrig, Virna Jandiroba.
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