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Women’s Atomweight
1. Seo Hee Ham (23-8) [1]
The third time proved to be a charm for Ham at Rizin 20, as she edged rival Ayaka Hamasaki via split decision to claim the Japanese promotion’s super atomweight crown. Ham has now won six consecutive bouts while competing in both Rizin and Road FC, where she also holds a title. Ham has vacated the Rizin title to reportedly sign with One Championship.2. Ayaka Hamasaki (21-3) [2]
Hamasaki claimed the vacant Rizin Fighting Federation atomweight crown in style on New Year’s Eve, as she tapped out Miyuu Yamamoto with a leg scissor choke 1:42 into the opening stanza of their encounter at Saitama Super Arena in Japan. That makes seven wins in eight outings for Hamasaki, whose lone defeat during that time came in a title bout against rival Seo Hee Ham at Rizin 22.3. Jinh Yu Frey (9-5) [3]
Frey’s second strawweight foray ended in disappointment at UFC on ESPN 16, as she dropped a unanimous verdict to Konklak Suphisara on Oct. 3. It was a rough 2020 for the 35-year-old Frey, who was stripped of her Invicta FC atomweight title after failing to make weight prior to a victory over Ashley Cummins in February and lost her Octagon debut to Kay Hansen via armbar on June 27. Frey will continue to search for her first UFC triumph when she meets Gloria de Paula on March 13.4. Kanna Asakura (18-4) [4]
Asakura continued her winning ways at Rizin 26, notching a unanimous verdict over Ai Shimizu for her fourth consecutive triumph. With a run that also includes a win over current Invicta FC atomweight queen Alesha Zappitella, the 23-year-old Paraestra Matsudo product has erased the sting of an upset loss to Miyuu Yamamoto in June 2019.5. Miyuu Yamamoto (6-5) [5]
Yamamoto had a chance to claim atomweight gold at Rizin 26, but instead she wound of on the wrong end of a submission highlight reel, as she succumbed to a leg scissor choke from Ayaka Hamasaki on Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama Japan. The 46-year-old Krazy Bee member has been finished in two of her last three Rizin appearances, though those losses have come to the atomweight division’s best — Hamasaki and Seo Hee Ham.6. Alesha Zappitella (8-2, 1 NC) [6]
Zappitella weathered some early adversity to claim the vacant atomweight throne at Invicta Fighting Championships 42, as she imposed her will through her grappling to submit Ashley Cummins with a fourth-round shoulder choke in Kansas City on Sept. 17. The Scorpion Fighting System product has now won five of her six appearances within the all-female promotion.7. Rena Kubota (11-3) [7]
Kubota won her third consecutive bout at Rizin 24, taking a unanimous verdict over Emi Tomimatsu in a strawweight affair at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Sept. 27. The Shoot Boxing champion is 10-2 when competing under the Japanese promotion’s banner, with both of her defeats coming at the hands of Kanna Asakura.8. Ashley Cummins (7-6) [8]
For two rounds, Cummins appeared to be well on her way to securing atomweight gold at Invicta Fighting Championships 42, but she was unable to maintain that momentum, ultimately falling to Alesha Zappitella via shoulder choke in the fourth round of their headlining bout. It was the first submission loss of Cummins’ MMA career and the second time she has come up short in an Invicta FC championship fight.9. Tomo Maesawa (14-11) [9]
Maesawa successfully defended the Deep Jewels championship she won in December 2018, as she submitted Hikaru Aono with a guillotine choke 57 seconds into the third round of their encounter at Deep-Jewels 30 on Oct. 31. With that victory, Maesawa rebounded from a submission loss to Ayaka Hamasaki at Rizin 22 in August. Maesawa is 5-3 since 2018 with losses to some of the best atomweight has to offer: Hamasaki, Seo Hee Ham and Kanna Asakura.10. Mina Kurobe (16-5) [10]
Kurobe has rebounded from back-to-back losses to Ayaka Hamasaki and Tomo Maesawa in 2018 to post a four-bout winning streak — with three of those victories coming inside the distance. A former Deep-Jewels title holder and Shooto’s reigning atomweight queen, the 43-year-old Tokyo native is coming off a unanimous decision triumph against Megumi Sugimoto in August.Other Contenders: Jessica Correa Delboni, Alyona Rassohyna, Kelly D’Angelo, Jillian DeCoursey, Si Woo Park.
Sherdog’s divisional and pound-for-pound rankings are compiled by a panel of Sherdog.com staff members and contributors: Tristen Critchfield, Mike Fridley, Brian Knapp, Ben Duffy, Jay Pettry, Edward Carbajal, Marcelo Alonso, Tudor Leonte, Keith Shillan, John Brannigan, Tyler Treese and Lev Pisarsky.