Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Women’s Strawweight
1. Weili Zhang (24-3) | UFC [1]
Zhang bullied Amanda Lemos for five rounds, winning a lopsided decision triumph in the UFC 292 co-main event. Currently on her second reign as strawweight queen, “Magnum” has rebounded from back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas in 2021 to win her last three outings in impressive fashion. With a resume that includes notable wins over the likes of Lemos, Carla Esparza, Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice), Jessica Andrade and Tecia Torres, the Chinese standout ranks among the top females in the sport.2. Carla Esparza (19-7) | UFC [2]
Esparza’s second reign as strawweight champion was as short-lived as the first, as she relinquished the crown to Weili Zhang in a second-round submission defeat in the UFC 281 co-main event. “Cookie Monster” rebuilt her career after the first title bout loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in 2015, and it’s possible she could rise to the top again — especially if the title changes hands. After having a six-bout winning streak snapped in defeat, Esparza will be in line to face another highly ranked foe in her next outing. That won’t come until 2024, as Esparza recently revealed that she is awaiting the birth of her first child.3. Rose Namajunas (11-6) | UFC [3]
One bout removed from a perplexing performance against in a title bout against Carla Esparza, Namajunas came up short in her flyweight debut, losing a unanimous decision to Manon Fiorot at UFC Fight Night 225 in Paris. Though “Thug” Rose appeared to have injured her right hand in the bout, she also struggled with the size and physicality of an opponent in a larger weight class. It will be interesting to see how Namajunas rebounds from the second two-fight skid of her professional career.4. Xiaonan Yan (18-3, 1 NC) | UFC [4]
Yan picked up the biggest victory of her career at UFC 288, stunning former champ Jessica Andrade with a huge right hand and follow-up ground strikes in the first round. Yan’s first knockout win in the UFC could not have come at a more opportune time, as most of the rest of the promotion’s top strawweights are either coming off losses, have already fought champ Weili Zhang, or are pregnant—or all three, in the case of Carla Esparza. “Fury” looks to be in an excellent position to navigate the 115-pound traffic jam, and the UFC’s first ever all-Chinese title fight may become a reality at some point in 2023.5. Tatiana Suarez (10-0) | UFC [5]
Suarez made a statement at UFC on ESPN 50, submitting former 115-pound champ Jessica Andrade in the second round of their co-main event encounter at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The Millennia MMA product appears to be fully recovered from the injury woes that halted her progress some four years ago, and with a seven-bout promotional winning streak in tow, she is positioned to make a run for strawweight gold in the very near future.6. Jessica Andrade (24-12) | UFC [6]
Andrade had no answers for the grappling of Tatiana Suarez in the UFC on ESPN 50 co-main event, as she succumbed to a second-round guillotine choke in their strawweight clash in Nashville. The former strawweight queen has lost three straight in UFC competition — all inside the distance — and for the first time in her career isn’t on the short list of title contenders in any weight class. The Brazilian’s active 2023 will continue against Mackenzie Dern at UFC 295.7. Amanda Lemos (13-3-1) | UFC [7]
With the exception of a couple Hail Mary choke attempts, Lemos appeared to be out of her depth against Weili Zhang, as the Brazilian dropped a lopsided decision in the UFC 292 co-main event. To her credit, Lemos made it to the final horn, but she had no answer for her Chinese opponent’s wrestling and heavy top game. Lemos sees a two-fight winning streak snapped in defeat, and at 36 years old, she may find it difficult to earn another championship opportunity.8. Virna Jandiroba (19-3) | UFC [8]
Jandiroba took another step forward at UFC 288, putting in a suffocating three-round performance against Marina Rodriguez in a pivotal strawweight matchup. By grounding the taller woman repeatedly and denying her the space and time to uncork her muay thai arsenal, Jandiroba picked up her second straight win. She has now won four of her last five bouts, with the lone loss coming against former contender Amanda Ribas, who now plies her trade at flyweight. Jandiroba was supposed to face Tatiana Suarez at UFC Nashville but was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury.9. Marina Rodriguez (17-3-2) | UFC [9]
After going five rounds with Michelle Waterson-Gomez in a flyweight headliner at UFC on ESPN 24 in May 2021, Rodriguez was much more dominant in their rematch at 115 pounds. The Brazilian muay thai stylist battered her foe with elbows and knees in the clinch before finishing the contest with ground-and-pound for a second-round TKO victory at UFC Fight Night 228. That snaps a two-fight skid for Rodriguez, whose resume also includes wins over the likes of Xiaonan Yan, Mackenzie Dern, Amanda Ribas and Tecia Torres.10. Mackenzie Dern (13-3) | UFC [10]
Dern got back on track in a big way against Angela Hill in the UFC Fight Night 223 headliner, as she overwhelmed her veteran opponent on the feet and on the canvas en route to a lopsided unanimous decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Dern’s latest performance was her newfound confidence and aggression on the feet. Whether that translates against more accomplished strikers remains to be seen, but the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt appears to be back on track toward contention at 115 pounds. She’ll attempt to continue that ascension against Jessica Andrade at UFC 295.Other Contenders:Stamp Fairtex, Seo Hee Ham, Luana Pinheiro, Tabatha Ricci, Lupita Godinez.
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