Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Women’s Flyweight

1. Valentina Shevchenko (19-3)

Shevchenko continues to look unstoppable in the UFC women’s flyweight division. “Bullet” absolutely overwhelmed Katlyn Chookagian in the UFC 247 co-main event in Houston, eventually trapping her opponent in a mounted crucifix and raining down strikes for a technical knockout stoppage at the 1:03 mark of the third round. Shevchenko has won five straight since dropping a closely-contested split verdict to Amanda Nunes at UFC 215. Her next title defense is expected to come against Joanne Calderwood.

2. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-0)

Macfarlane was rarely threatened in her latest title defense, as she cruised to a unanimous decision over Kate Jackson in the Bellator 236 headliner at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. Macfarlane was on the verge of a finish in the fourth and fifth rounds, but Jackson relied on her tenacity to survive until the final bell. Macfarlane now has four successful championship defenses to her credit since winning the inaugural 125-pound belt in November 2017. Interesting future challenges loom in the form of streaking flyweight Juliana Velasquez along with recently-signed training partner — and two-division UFC title challenger — Liz Carmouche.

3. Liz Carmouche (13-7)

Carmouche simply had no answers in her title bout against reigning flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko at UFC Uruguay. “Girl-Rilla” was outclassed on the feet and on the mat as she saw a two-fight winning streak come to an end in lopsided fashion. The two-division title challenger was surprisingly released from her UFC contract while doing a promotional appearance for the organization ahead of UFC on ESPN 7. It didn’t take Carmouche long to find a new home, however, as she quickly signed an exclusive deal to compete in Bellator’s flyweight division.

4. Vanessa Porto (22-8)

When opponent Karina Rodriguez missed weight prior to their bout at Invicta FC 38, Porto’s flyweight championship defense became a non-title bout. Despite the lowered stakes, Porto was able to earn her fourth consecutive triumph, utilizing takedowns and ground-and-pound to sway the scorecards in her favor in a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph. The 35-year-old Brazilian has won seven of her last nine bouts, with six of those triumphs coming under the Invicta FC banner.

5. Cynthia Calvillo (9-1-1)

Calvillo established herself as a person to watch at flyweight in the UFC on ESPN 10 headliner, taking a clear-cut unanimous decision over former title challenger Jessica Eye in Las Vegas on June 13. It’s not as though she was unsuccessful at strawweight, either. The Tiger Muay Thai export lost just once in her first seven Octagon appearances at 115 pounds, though she missed weight badly for a majority draw against Marina Rodriguez in December.

6. Jessica Eye (15-8, 1 NC)

After a solid first round, Eye was unable to combat the grappling of Cynthia Calvillo at UFC on ESPN 10, as she had her back taken repeatedly in a unanimous decision loss at the UFC Apex on June 13. The Ohio native is still 4-2 since dropping from bantamweight to 125 pounds, a mark that includes wins over Katlyn Chookagian and Viviane Araujo.

7. Katlyn Chookagian (14-3)

Chookagian gained a small measure of revenge for the lopsided beating she endured at the hands of Valentina Shevchenko in February, as she scored a dominant decision triumph over the champion’s sister, Antonina Shevchenko, at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas. “Blonde Fighter” has won three of her last four Octagon appearances dating back to 2019, with other notable victories against Joanne Calderwood and Jennifer Maia.

8. Jennifer Maia (17-6-1)

It was not the most memorable UFC 244 for Maia, who missed weight and then dropped a unanimous decision to rising contender Katlyn Chookagian in a preliminary 125-pound affair. After entering the Las Vegas-based promotion on a six-bout winning streak, the 31-year-old Brazilian is 2-2 in the Octagon. However, Maia is always a tough out, as suggested by her streak of eight consecutive decisions. Up next is a showdown with Viviane Araujo on June 27.

9. Joanne Calderwood (14-4)

In a competitive, back-and-forth affair, Calderwood managed to edge Andrea Lee via split-decision in a preliminary contest at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi. Calderwood has won three of her last four bouts at 125 pounds and owns four UFC flyweight victories overall — tying her for the most in the history of the division.

10. Molly McCann (10-2)

McCann has been on a roll since being submitted by Gillian Robertson in her Octagon debut, posting successive decision victories over Priscila Cachoeira, Ariane Lipski and Diana Belbita in her next three UFC appearances. The former Cage Warriors flyweight queen will return to action against Talia Santos at “Fight Island” on July 15.

Other Contenders: Lauren Murphy, Roxanne Modafferi, Andrea Lee, Maycee Barber, Rin Nakai.

Continue Reading » Women’s Strawweight