Women’s Flyweight
1. Jennifer Maia (14-4-1)
It was over seven years ago that Maia projected as a major MMA prospect, and the Curitiba, Brazil, native has found her stride. Back-to-back decisions over longtime divisional stalwarts Vanessa Porto and Roxanne Modafferi put her on top of the division and made her the Invicta flyweight champion. Maia has now won five in a row and seven of her last eight since 2014.2. Vanessa Porto (18-7)
A 13-year veteran with a slew of quality victories, Porto could not replicate one of her old hits in March. She armbarred fellow Brazilian Jennifer Maia back in October 2011, but at Invicta 16, Maia avenged her defeat and pounded out a hard-fought 25-minute unanimous decision to take a slice of the Invicta 125-pound title. Porto has not been booked since.3. Roxanne Modafferi (19-13)
Last year ended on a bitter note for Modafferi, as she dropped a split decision to Jennifer Maia in her Invicta title fight in September. With that said, the committed drop to 125 pounds has suited Modafferi, a 13-year MMA veteran. Since going to flyweight full-time, “The Happy Warrior” is 4-2, with wins over Tara LaRosa, Andrea Lee, Mariana Morais and DeAnna Bennett.4. Rin Nakai (19-2-1)
Admittedly, the 5-foot-1 Nakai’s UFC run at 135 pounds did not go well, as she dropped lame decisions to Miesha Tate and Leslie Smith. However, since returning to her home promotion Pancrase and dedicating herself to 125 pounds, Nakai has gone an impressive 3-0. She most recently competed for the Rizin Fighting Federation on Dec. 29 and defeated the previously unbeaten Kanako Murata, a true world-class wrestler.5. Sarah D’Alelio (11-6)
Always a live dog at 135 pounds -- she has a win over UFC champion Amanda Nunes after all -- D’Alelio has found competitive consistency at 125 pounds. The 36-year-old D’Alelio snapped her three-fight losing streak with four straight wins, her last three at flyweight, where she beat Andrea Lee, Jenny Liou and Jaimelene Nievara.6. Ariane Lipski (8-3)
Lipski’s six-fight winning streak, major knockout power and 1994 birthdate have made her one of the most exciting prospect in women’s MMA. She can take a major leap into the sport’s spotlight and earn a major victory her next time out when she meets fellow prospect Diana Belbita for the inaugural KSW women’s flyweight title on May 27. Adding to the intrigue, the fight is part of KSW’s first stadium show and could take place in front of upwards of 60,000 fans.7. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (5-0)
Macfarlane was signed by Bellator MMA when she was 1-0 as a pro, so it seems fair to say the promotion saw the native Hawaiian as a face for its upstart 125-pound division. So far, “The Iliminator” has held up her end of the bargain, going 4-0 in the Bellator cage over the last 18 months, most recently earning a unanimous decision over Emily Ducote at Bellator 167 in December. Whenever the promotion crowns a flyweight women’s champion, Macfarlane figures to be part of the equation.8. Jingnan Xiong (9-1)
A Chinese Sanda specialist, Xiong is still far from a full-fledged and well-rounded MMA fighter. With that said, she has been a pro for less than two and a half years and has posted a 9-1 pro mark with seven stoppages under the Kunlun Fight banner, all while demonstrating some delightful striking. Her lone loss in her career, a June 2015 decision defeat to veteran Colleen Schneider, came at 132 pounds. She stayed busy in December, punching out unknown Slovakian Alena Gondasova in the second round.9. Andrea Lee (6-2)
Lee has gotten 2017 started on the right foot. In her first action since her submission loss to Sarah D’Alelio in March 2016, she blasted Jenny Liou in a mere 74 seconds at Invicta 21 on Jan. 14. Just over four weeks later, “KGB” armbarred Heather Bassett in the third round to become the first Legacy Fighting Alliance women’s flyweight champion.10. Agnieszka Niedzwiedz (9-0)
The latest stalwart women’s prospect out of Poland, Niedzwiedz was a compelling talent early in her career as a bantamweight. She is now one of the most interesting 125-pounders out there after debuting in Invicta in July and topping Christine Stanley. However, in December in her native Poland, the 21-year-old Niedzwiedz came in at almost 131 pounds to face 121-pound Samara Santos, whom she knocked out, so some growing pains may be had.Other Contenders: Diana Belbita, Simone Duarte, Emily Ducote, Daiane Firmino, Brogan Walker
Continue Reading » Women’s Strawweight