A definitive ranking of the UFC women’s champions since 2012.
Since UFC president Dana White introduced women to the promotion in Novermber 2012, there have been some dominant champions and stars.
Ronda Rousey rose to superstardom, helping open the door for many aspiring female fighters and the possibilities that come with it. In addition to bantamweight, the UFC later created three more weight classes, including two by using “The Ultimate Fighter” to crown inaugural strawweight and flyweight champions.
With 14 UFC women’s champions through March 2020, below is a ranking of their status.
Without further ado …
****
14. Germaine de Randamie (0 title defenses as featherweight champion)
[autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] won the inaugural UFC featherweight title in a hard-fought battle against Holly Holm at UFC 208, but her reign did not last long.
The Dutch kickboxer was meant to make her first title defense against Cris Cyborg, but she was unwilling to fight Cyborg because of her history with performance enhancing drugs. When the matchup never materialized, the UFC stripped de Randamie of her belt. She proceeded to move back down bantamweight
After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next.
With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 248’s key winning fighters.
Those include [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who defeated Yoel Romero (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) by unanimous decision to defend his middleweight belt in the main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who edged Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) by split decision to retain the strawweight belt in the co-headliner, as well as [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC), [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (22-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) and [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC).
* * * *
Sean O’Malley
Brian Kelleher
Should fight: [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] Why they should fight: O’Malley returned to the octagon in resounding fashion after two years away and showed that he’s still a top bantamweight prospect by putting away Jose Quinonez with an impressive – and fast – first-round finish.
Now undefeated, it’s time for “Suga” to take a step up in competition and see if the talent really matches the hype. He’s able to show out against fighters who aren’t in his league, but what about against someone who should be far more competitive against him?
Sure, Kelleher (20-10 MMA, 4-3 UFC) hasn’t proven himself to be a worldbeater, but he has more experience than O’Malley, has fought better opponents and has better wins. He called for the fight after O’Malley’s win, and the UFC should give it to him.
Took a dive. Fuck that shit man it’s time @SugaSeanMMA fights somebody who doesn’t bend over like a bitch. I’m next #boom
Should fight: [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] Why they should fight: After a 16-month layoff, Magny returned in fine form and picked up a solid unanimous decision win against Li Jingliang, who has been doing some good things in the welterweight division in recent years.
Immediately after the fight, Magny had a name ready to go for who he wanted next. That name was Chiesa, who is coming off a unanimous decision win over former champ Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in January that moved him to 3-0 as a welterweight.
Chiesa promptly took to social media and accepted to the callout, and with both sides invested, this one makes itself.
Should fight: [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] Why they should fight: Dariush extended his winning streak to four fights with one of the best knockouts so far this year. He stopped Drakkar Klose with an absurd punch in the second round of their lightweight matchup, and now it seems Dariush is on the cusp of breaking back into the top 15 of the weight class.
Dariush has been in and out of the rankings over the years, but with three consecutive stoppage wins, he hasn’t seen this type of momentum before. It puts him in position to get a name opponent at 155 pounds, and Gillespie (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is available.
Gillespie is coming off a heinous knockout loss to Kevin Lee at UFC 244 in November, but from all indications is looking to book his next fight sometime in the coming months. Dariush said he’ll be ready to get back to work after his upcoming honeymoon, and it certainly has the ingredients for a solid fight.
[vertical-gallery id=497818]
Zhang Weili
Rose Namajunas
Should fight: [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] or [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Weili should fight Rose Namajunas (if she wins at UFC 249) or rematch Jedrzejczyk next for her second title defense.
[vertical-gallery id=497846]
Israel Adesanya
Paulo Costa
Should fight: [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Adesanya should fight Costa (12-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) next for his second title defense.
Watch some of the best standing rear-naked choke finishes in UFC history, featuring Rose Namajunas and Charles Oliveira.
Protect your neck at all times.
You don’t need both hooks in to sink a rear-naked choke, and many have paid a heavy price when trying to fend off a takedown. Many rear-naked chokes have occurred standing, surprising fighters when it’s least expected.
Just like former UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] and surging lightweight [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] have done on multiple occasions. They’re the only two fighters in UFC history to score a standing rear-naked choke twice.
Check out the latest video compilation by the UFC showing some of the best standing rear-naked choke finishes in promotional history. For those who haven’t seen these finishes, we won’t spoil who won or how – but the compilation includes:
Jan Blachowicz vs. Devin Clark – UFC Fight Night 118 (October 21, 2017)
Charles Oliveira vs. Efrain Escudero – UFC Fight Night 22 (September 15, 2010)
Charles Oliveira vs. Will Brooks – UFC 210 (April 8, 2017)
Keita Nakamura vs. Li Jingliang – UFC Fight Night 75 (September 27, 2015)
Michael Chiesa vs. Beneil Dariush – UFC on Fox 19 (April 16, 2016)
Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg – UFC 45 (November 21, 2003)
Rose Namajunas vs. Angela Hill – UFC 192 (October 3, 2015)
Rose Namajunas vs. Michelle Waterson – UFC on Fox 24 (April 15, 2017)
Josh Koscheck vs. Pete Spratt – UFC Fight Night 1 (August 6, 2005)
Jim Miller vs. Melvin Guillard – UFC on FX 1 (January 20, 2012)
Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar – UFC 157 (February 23, 2013)
Dan Miller vs. Rob Kimmons – UFC Fight Night 15 (September 17, 2008)
Josh Samman vs. Caio Magalhaes – The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale (July 12, 2015)
Mark Bocek vs. Joe Brammer – The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale (December 5, 2009)
Mitch Gagnon vs. Roman Salazar – UFC Fight Night 54 (October 4, 2014)
Rose Namajunas explains why she turned down a title shot against Zhang Weili, who defends her belt Saturday at UFC 248.
[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] could have been the one challenging for the strawweight title Saturday at UFC 248.
Speaking on the “UFC Unfiltered” podcast, former 115-pound champion Namajunas (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) said she was offered a title shot against new champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag], but turned it down.
Namajunas lost her title to Jessica Andrade in May 2019. It was a fight in which she was en route to a masterclass showing, but was slammed on her head in Round 2 and lost by knockout.
Just like Yoel Romero and Jose Aldo have upcoming title shots coming off losses, Namajunas would have certainly had an argument, too – and apparently the UFC was on board with the idea.
But Namajunas had her reasons to not take the fight.
“I think everyone else felt the same way, too,” Namajunas said. “I was even offered Weili at the time, but I just – at the time I was still dealing with a lot of my own (things), just getting my head right, and I hired a mental coach that’s helping me do a lot of different things. And so there was a lot of work that needed to be done.
“I wasn’t ready for that just yet. I didn’t even really know if I wanted to fight at that time anymore, just because I wanted to make sure that this is something that I wanted to do and I wasn’t just like, ‘Let’s have another fight just because I’m good at it.'”
[lawrence-related id=478903,464990,495909]
The setback to Andrade was a hard pill to swallow for Namajunas, who had a scary fall in her knockout loss. After some time off to reflect, she said she has regained her love for the sport as she gears up for a rematch against Andrade at UFC 249 in Brooklyn.
“It was definitely one of my harder losses that I’ve dealt with,” Namajunas said. “I think the thing is, I knew exactly – it was easier in the sense that I knew exactly all of the things that I did wrong. The harder part is taking responsibility for myself, and yeah, maybe situations around me that I couldn’t control could have been better. But I could have taken control over a lot more things in my life. So ultimately, taking that responsibility is the hardest part out of everything.”
The fall was a cause for concern, considering how she landed on her neck. But, Namajunas is just grateful that no permanent damage has been done.
“I got dropped on my head – I could have been paralyzed. It’s like, ‘Well, I wasn’t paralyzed, so why should I be paralyzed in fear if it didn’t happen?'” Namajunas said. “I should celebrate the fact that I’m walking around and it’s a miracle that my neck feels better than it’s ever felt in the past few years. Prior to that happening, I had a fracture in my neck, so it was hurting a lot – and after that, I feel great.”
A rematch between former strawweight champions is on tap for UFC 249.
A rematch between former strawweight champions is on tap for UFC 249.
Less than a year after [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] scored a stunning slam knockout of [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] to claim the title, the pair will run it back in April.
On Thursday, MMA Junkie confirmed with two people close to the situation that Andrade (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and Namajunas (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) have verbally agreed to a second fight at UFC 249. The people requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement. News of the fight being finalized was first reported by ESPN.com.
UFC 249 takes place April 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The main card streams on pay-per-view following prelims likely on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
[lawrence-related id=464990]
Andrade, 28, will attempt to put herself back near the top of the heap at 115 pounds after holding the strap for less than four months. After beating Namajunas at UFC 237 in May, the Brazilian went into enemy territory and was quickly knocked out by Zhang Weili to spell the end of her run as champ.
Many believe Andrade got the title in somewhat lucky fashion, as she delivered a rare knockout against Namajunas, 27, in a fight she was decisively losing prior to the finish. Namajunas hasn’t competed since that brutal finish and openly questioned whether she would continue to compete. She ultimately decided to press forward and will get a shot at vengeance in the rematch.
With the addition, the UFC 249 lineup now includes:
Champ Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson – for lightweight title
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is a worthy challenger to the UFC champion, but she’s not the toughest one.
UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] likely will make her first title defense vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
And while Weili believes Jedrzejczyk is a formidable opponent, she doesn’t believe she’s the best in the division. Weili bestows that title to former champion [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag].
“I always want to fight the best, but it is not my job to determine who the best is,” Weili told MMA Junkie in a direct message. “If you are asking me if I think Joanna is the best then the answer is no. Joanna is a worthy opponent and is among the best, but in my opinion Rose is the best martial artist. And when the time is right, it will be an honor to test my skills against hers.”
[lawrence-related id=464644,462092]
Namajunas (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) was en route to a masterclass in her last outing, when she attempted to defend her title vs. Jessica Andrade at UFC 237. But a crucial mistake cost her as she latched onto a Kimura while being lifted and was unable to protect herself when she was slammed, getting knocked out in Round 2.
Despite the loss, Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) still sees Namajunas as the toughest test and hopes to get the opportunity to share the octagon with her in the near future. Good news for Weili is that Namajunas, who contemplated retirement after losing her belt, recently announced her intention to continue fighting.
“I think Rose is a true master and know our paths will cross,” Weili said. “I like Rose very much, and to share the octagon with her will be the true test. I look forward to seeing her return, and I wish her good health and prosperity.”
Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas says her head is back in the right place for her fighting career.
[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] isn’t done yet.
A former UFC strawweight champion, Namajunas (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) said she has regained her passion for fighting and won’t retire, according to a recent interview with ESPN.
An emotional Namajunas detailed her motivational struggles before, during, and after her championship loss to Jessica Andrade seven months ago at UFC 237. The turning point came when she visited former coach Greg Nelson in Minnesota.
“I’ll fight again,” Namajunas said. “And you know it’s kind of one of those things where you get a little emotional. But it’s like I lost the passion for martial arts and fighting – mainly for fighting. I found my passion again.
“I went back to Minnesota to see one of my former coaches from earlier on in my amateur career, Greg Nelson. He’s just like a huge inspiration for me.”
[lawrence-related id=454926,412464]
As champion, Namajunas said, her career became everything she had hoped it wouldn’t. The pressure of being a champion weighed heavily and the enjoyment dwindled. Over the past few months, Namajunas has realized she doesn’t need a belt to feel comfortable.
“I made it into everything I didn’t want it to be,” Namajunas said. “I didn’t want the belt to define me and all I did was make it define me. That was all that was on my mind every day. Even though it was not even in my own house. It just consumed my every thought. It turned into a shackle and chain rather than just loving fighting.
“Do I want to be the best? Of course. But I don’t need a belt to tell me that I’m the best. I already know. It was like, weird. It was all of my fears and all of the things I didn’t want to happen ended up happening by just fearing it so much.”
Namajunas said she currently has a UFC bout offer on the table, but did not to give any details. Uncertain if she’s going to accept it, Namajunas said she’s aiming for a February or March return to the cage.
In Namajunas’ absence, a new 115-pound champion was crowned. In August, Weili Zhang dethroned Andrade with a swift first-round knockout. Namajunas is indifferent about facing the UFC’s first Chinese champion next.
“Weili looked great and I always want to fight the best,” Namajunas said. “Clearly, she is (the best) right now. But you know? I want to test myself against her. But at the same time, whether that be this next fight or get a win under my belt and go after that? I really have no preference at the moment. It doesn’t matter who I fight, but you should always have your eye on being the best.”
Namajunas also commented on how much fighting time she believes she has left. “Thug Rose” said she didn’t want to be held to a timetable, but predicted she has approximately three years left in her competitive MMA career.
“I definitely have always said I don’t really want to fight in my 30’s, so I have three more years on my clock, ” Namajunas said. “But at the same time, I’m not going to say that for sure. But I’d say I’ll have three more years where I’m interested in this.”
