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Women’s Strawweight
1. Rose Namajunas (11-4) [1]
After a shockingly quick head-kick KO victory over Weili Zhang in their first meeting at UFC 261, Namajunas relied on a different approach in the rematch, relying on her takedowns and grappling down the stretch for a split-decision triumph in the UFC 268 co-headliner at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 6. With the win, the reigning strawweight queen improved to 4-0 in rematches during her UFC tenure. Another return date against inaugural 115-pound champion Carla Esparza could be on the horizon for Namajunas, who fell to “Cookie Monster” at “The Ultimate Fighter 20” finale in December 2014.2. Weili Zhang (21-3) [2]
Zhang had a far better showing the second time around against Rose Namajunas, but she nonetheless wound up on the wrong end of the scorecards in a split decision loss in the UFC 268 co-main event. While it wasn’t nearly as discouraging as a head kick KO defeat, Zhang falls to 0-2 against Namajunas, which means she may need another champion to be crowned to be a factor in the title picture anytime soon. Regardless, the 32-year-old Chinese standout is well established as one of the top 115-pound talents in the sport and will be a tough out for most anyone in the division.3. Jessica Andrade (22-9) [3]
Andrade was in peak form at UFC 266, as she walked Cynthia Calvillo down and landed power punches until her opponent was unable to defend against the Brazilian’s onslaught at the 4:54 mark of Round 1 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 25. The former strawweight champion bounces back from a TKO loss to reigning 125-pound champ Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 261 while winning for the second time in three Octagon appearances since moving up to flyweight. Andrade currently ranks among the leaders in UFC women’s history in wins (13) and finishes (seven).4. Carla Esparza (18-6) [4]
Esparza ended Xiaonan Yan’s six-bout Octagon winning streak in the UFC Fight Night 188 co-main event, as she pummeled her opponent with punches and elbows from the crucifix position to earn a technical knockout victory in the second round of their encounter at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on May 22. That makes five consecutive victories for the promotion’s inaugural 115-pound queen, who has rebounded from an uninspiring 3-4 run from 2015 to 2018 to return to championship contention.5. Xiaonan Yan (13-2, 1 NC) [5]
Yan showed a serious deficiency in her defensive wrestling at UFC Fight Night 188, as she was taken down at will by Carla Esparza before being pounded out with punches and elbows from the crucifix position 2:58 into Round 2 of their co-main event bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on May 22. It’s back to the drawing board for Yan, who entered the matchup with a six-fight UFC winning streak and legitimate championship aspirations.6. Marina Rodriguez (15-1-2) [6]
Rodriguez showcased a multi-faceted striking arsenal in a five-round verdict over Mackenzie Dern in the UFC Fight Night 194 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Oct. 9. Perhaps more importantly, she was able to overcome adversity and survive when Dern held a dominant position on the canvas in Round 2. The Brazilian muay Thai specialist has won three straight fights and could be on the cusp of title contention at 115 pounds.7. Claudia Gadelha (18-5) [7]
Unable to impose her will through grappling, Gadelha was outmatched on the feet in a decision loss to Xiaonan Yan at UFC on ESPN 17. That defeat halted some positive momentum for the 31-year-old Brazilian, who had won three of her previous four bouts entering the matchup with Yan. It’s now been more than five years since Gadelha challenged for strawweight gold at “The Ultimate Fighter 23” finale in July 2016.8. Tecia Torres (13-5) [8]
Some six years after taking a unanimous verdict against Angela Hill in their first meeting at UFC 188, Torres once again outpointed “Overkill” in their rematch at UFC 265 at the Toyota Center in Houston on Aug. 7. Torres has bounced back from a four-bout skid from 2018 to 2019 to post three consecutive victories, besting the likes of Hill, Sam Hughes and Brianna Van Buren to re-establish herself as a stern test for up-and-comers at 115 pounds.9. Michelle Waterson (18-9) [9]
Waterson was game as usual in a makeshift 125-pound headliner against Marina Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN 24, dropping a hard-fought unanimous verdict in May. Since it was a division above her normal class, the setback didn’t adversely affect Waterson’s standing at strawweight. Still, “The Karate Hottie” has lost three of her last four in UFC competition and will look to turn things around in her next Octagon appearance.10. Amanda Ribas (11-2) [10]
Ribas shook off a slow start to pull away over the final 10 minutes for a unanimous decision triumph over Virna Jandiroba at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 30. The bubbly Marcelo Ribas Team representative rebounded from a January TKO defeat to Marina Rodriguez and has been victorious in five of her six appearances within the Las Vegas-based promotion.Other Contenders:Mackenzie Dern, Virna Jandiroba, Amanda Lemos, Nina Nunes, Seo Hee Ham.
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