Fighter image: Sachiko Hotaka/Rizin FF | Illustration: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com
Women’s Atomweight
1. Seika Izawa (9-0) | Rizin [1]
Izawa completed her run through the Rizin super atomweight grand prix on New Year’s Eve, when she garnered a hard-fought split verdict over Si Woo Park at Rizin 40 in Saitama, Japan. Izawa keeps her undefeated record intact and improves to 2-0 against Park, whom she also defeated via unanimous decisionat Deep 104 Impact in October 2021. With a resume that now includes wins over Park (twice), Ayaka Hamasaki (twice) and Miki Motono (twice), the 25-year-old Tokyo native strengthens her position atop the atomweight rankings. Next, Izawa will lock horns with Miyuu Yamamoto at Rizin 42.2. Si Woo Park (9-5) | Rizin [2]
Park performed admirably in her rematch with Seika Izawa but ultimately came up short, dropping a split decision in their super atomweight grand prix final matchup at Rizin 40 on New Year’s Eve. While many observers thought “The Korean Queen Bee” deserved the nod on the scorecards, that’s small consolation for Park, who falls to 0-2 against Izawa and sees a four-fight winning streak snapped in defeat.3. Ayaka Hamasaki (24-6) | Rizin [3]
Hamasaki couldn’t take Si Woo Park to the canvas in their super atomweight grand prix semifinal matchup at Rizin 38, and as a result she was battered and dropped on the feet en route to a convincing unanimous decision loss. While the 40-year-old ex-champion remains one of the top talents in the division, a 1-3 record in her last four professional appearances suggests that Hamasaki’s best days may be behind her.4. Jillian DeCoursey (6-3) | Invicta [4]
DeCoursey stunned Jessica Delboni at Invicta FC 49, running roughshod over the Invicta atomweight champ and choking her out with ease late in the first round. With the resounding win, “Lionheart” claims one of the two most prestigious belts to be found below 115 pounds and takes a corresponding leap in these rankings. One of MMA’s most unsung late bloomers, the 38-year-old New Yorker will make her first title defense against Rayanne Amanda dos Santos at Invicta FC 53.5. Namiko Kawabata (4-2) | Jewels [5]
After upsetting Saori Oshima in a non-title bout at Deep Jewels 36 in March, Kawabata kept her momentum going with a 37-second technical knockout victory against Yuko Kiryu at Deep Jewels 38 in Tokyo on Sept. 11. Making the victory all the more impressive was the fact that Kiryu was in the midst of a five-fight winning streak and hadn’t been finished since her professional debut in 2015. A move to strawweight was not as successful, however, as she was submitted by Machi Fukuda in the opening round of their clash at Deep Jewels 40.6. Saori Oshima (11-3) | Jewels [6]
Oshima extended her winning streak to four with an armbar submission of Yerin Hong at Black Combat 5 on Feb. 4. The 28-year-old AACC product has eight of her last nine outings dating back to March 2021 — earning victories in both Deep Jewels and Rizin along the way. Oshima’s ever-growing resume includes wins over the likes of Si Woo Park, Kanna Asakura and Moeri Suda.7. Jessica Correa Delboni (12-4) | Invicta [7]
Delboni suffered the worst setback of her career to date at Invicta FC 49, as Jillian DeCoursey mauled her on the ground en route to a rear-naked choke submission in the waning seconds of Round 1. With the stunning loss, “The Queen” relinquishes the Invicta atomweight crown she won from Alesha Zappitella in January and sees a two-fight win streak snapped. Delboni will return to action against Danielle Taylor at Invicta FC 53.8. Alesha Zappitella (9-4, 1 NC) | Invicta [8]
Zappitella’s move to the strawweight division didn’t go as planned, as she suffered a doctor stoppage loss to Emily Ducote after two rounds in the Invicta FC 47 main event. “Half Pint” has now lost back-to-back title bouts — one at 115 pounds and one at 105 pounds — after compiling a four-fight winning streak from February 2020 to May 2021. It appears that her future will remain in the strawweight division for the time being.9. Rena Kubota (12-4) | Rizin [9]
Kubota punched her ticket to the semifinals of the super atomweight grand prix with a unanimous verdict against Anastasiya Svetkivska at Rizin 37. The Shoot Boxing flyweight queen has won five of her last six appearances under the Rizin banner and rebounds from a loss to Si Woo Park at Rizin 33 in December 2021. Unfortunately, an injury forced Kubota to withdraw from the super atomweight bracket.10. Kanna Asakura (19-7) | Rizin [10]
Asakura’s second bid to win a Rizin super atomweight grand prix ended prematurely, as she dropped a unanimous decision to Si Woo Park in a quarterfinal bout at Rizin 37. The 24-year-old Asakura has lost three of her last four outings dating back to March 2021, a stretch that includes split-decision setbacks against the likes of Saori Oshima and Ayaka Hamasaki.Other Contenders: Satomi Takano, Miki Motono, Moeri Suda, Aya Murakami, Ana Palacios.
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, Lev Pisarsky and Rob Sargent.
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