In a surprising turn of events, the UFC has raised the stakes in the women’s divisions by signing four promising fighters, effectively silencing the disappointment felt by fans following recent releases.
Melissa Dixon, Shauna Bannon, Luana Santos, and Jacqueline Cavalcanti are the new additions that have sent ripples of excitement through the MMA community. While only one has a scheduled debut in the Octagon, their arrival hints at the organization’s commitment to nurturing fresh talent and ensuring a vibrant future for women’s MMA.
On July 22, brace yourself for an electrifying showdown at UFC London. Bannon, the formidable Irish fighter with an unblemished 5-0 record, aims to make a resounding statement by taking on the indomitable Bruna Brasil in the strawweight division.
Meanwhile, in the women’s bantamweight category, Dixon, the English sensation, and Calvalcanti, the LFA champion, are both hungry for success and ready to leave a trail of destruction on their path to the 135-pound title. Get ready for an unforgettable night of thrilling fights as these rising stars unleash their fighting prowess in pursuit of their dreams.
The UFC landscape has seen shifts in the past week, as noted by the vigilant UFC Roster Watch. Sixteen individuals have bid adieu to the promotion’s website, but their departures carry a myriad of meanings.
Some have seen their contracts expire, while others embark on extended breaks before their return to the octagon. It’s a swirling vortex of possibilities where the ebb and flow of fighters’ destinies continue to shape the ever-evolving world of mixed martial arts.
Here is a list of the sixteen fighters recently listed, along with their promotional records:
Enter the tension arena of the UFC Strawweight Division, a competitive arena where participants weigh between 106 and 115 pounds (48 and 52 kg). Athletes who compete in this fierce competition exhibit the ideal balance of force and precision as they unleash their martial arts prowess with unwavering determination.
With an unquenchable drive to win, these extraordinary fighters display their skill in an exciting symphony of technique, agility, and raw strength, mesmerizing spectators with each measured stroke. The octagon becomes a canvas, and these fighters are the paintbrushes, creating a masterpiece of unflinching fortitude and unsurpassed skill.
Strawweight Champion in the UFC as of 2023
Zhang Weili’s fierceness and dexterity culminated in a victory over Carla Esparza on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281 in Madison Square Garden, earning her the coveted UFC women’s strawweight championship. A night of unwavering resolve forever recorded in MMA history. Champion at strawweight in the UFC as of 2023
Top 2023 UFC Strawweight
Rank
Fighter
Record
Win Streak
Result
Last fight
Next fight
C
Zhang Weili
24–3
3
(1 def)
Win
UFC 292 Amanda Lemos
TBD
1
Carla Esparza
19–7
0
Loss
UFC 281 Zhang Weili
TBD
2
Rose Namajunas
11–6
0
Loss
UFC Fight Night 226 Manon Fiorot
TBD
3
Yan Xiaonan
17–3
(1 NC)
2
Win
UFC 288 Jéssica Andrade
TBD
4
Tatiana Suarez
10–0
10
Win
UFC on ESPN 50 Jéssica Andrade
TBD
5
Amanda Lemos
13–3–1
0
Loss
UFC 292 Zhang Weili
TBD
6
Jéssica Andrade
24–12
0
Loss
UFC on ESPN 50 Tatiana Suarez
UFC 295 Mackenzie Dern
7
Virna Jandiroba
19–3
2
Win
UFC 288 Marina Rodriguez
TBD
8
Mackenzie Dern
13–3
1
Win
UFC Fight Night 223 Angela Hill
UFC 295 Jéssica Andrade
9
Marina Rodriguez
16–3–2
0
Loss
UFC 288 Virna Jandiroba
UFC Fight Night 228 Michelle Waterson-Gomez
10
Tecia Torres
13–6
0
Loss
UFC 273 Mackenzie Dern
TBD
11
Amanda Ribas
12–4
0
Loss
UFC on ABC 5 Maycee Barber
UFC Fight Night 232 Luana Pinheiro
12
Luana Pinheiro
11–1
9
Win
UFC 287 Michelle Waterson-Gomez
UFC Fight Night 232 Amanda Ribas
13
Michelle Waterson-Gomez
18–11
0
Loss
UFC 287 Luana Pinheiro
UFC Fight Night 228 Marina Rodriguez
14
Tabatha Ricci
9–1
4
Win
UFC on ABC 5 Gillian Robertson
TBD
15
Angela Hill
15–13
0
Loss
UFC Fight Night 223 Mackenzie Dern
UFC Fight Night 231 Denise Gomes
Strawweight in UFC history
Carla Esparza began her reign in the UFC Strawweight drama by winning the first championship from Rose Namajunas in 2014. The reign was then held by Joanna Jedrzejczyk for an incredible 966 days until Namajunas recaptured it at UFC 217. Prior to Zhang Weili winning at UFC 237 and successfully defending her championship against Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 in a thrilling split decision, Jessica Andrade enjoyed a brief period of dominance in the division.
UFC stands for ultimate fighting championship where two people face each other in match where they can use all type of martial arts in the rings. The league is mostly known for their aggressive fighting tactics they used in the match. The format of the tournament is unique and are held in Las Vegas. So take a look at Top 10 UFC Women’s Fighters In 2022.
The stage or the rings rules are equal for the women same as men. So the rules for UFC Women’s matches remains the same and had also created a good effect on the society by showing that women’s can to fight in the rings. The league are depended on the wins streak of a particular fighter where a fighter has to win certain number of matches without losing a single one.
Top 10 UFC Women Fighters In 2022
1)Valentina Shevchenko
A professional mixed artist fighter and a former Thai fighter had won many titles and currently stands on the first division in flyweight. The fighter has a record of 22-3 with a win streak of 8 matches. She is been stated as the top 1 UFC women’s fighter after she defeated jonan on December 13 2021. The next fight is not been scheduled yet.
2)Amanda Nunes
UFC women’s bantamweight rankings is the top fighter after she had an aggressive win over conor and had been ranked 1st. The fighter has a record of 21-5 with current win streak of Zero. The next fight is not been scheduled yet. The fighter is overwhelming in the division of women’s bantamweight and had been ranked one from January 2022.
3)Rose Namajunas
A professional mixed martial artist with many titles and win in her carrier. Also known as one of the strongest among UFC women’s fighter. The fighter has a record of 11-4 with a current win streak of 3 in her career. The next match for the fighter is not been scheduled yet. The two time and the current champion of UFC Strawweight champion.
4)Julianna Pena
An american mixed martial artist to make it in the top 10 best women fighters in the UFC league. The first one to win the title of ultimate fighter. Also she holds a current record of 11-4 with a current win strak of 2 in her carrier. The next match for the fighter is not been decided yet.
5)Zhang Weili
The former UFC Strawweight champion before Rose comes in the list of Top 10 UFC Women’s Fighters In 2022. The fighter has a habit of defeating their opponents as quickly as possible and creates a defensive area in the ring. She has a record of 22-9 with a current win streak of zero in her career. The next match is been scheduled to take place between mid of may but the fighters are not revealed yet.
6)Jessica Andrade
Once again a former UFC Strawweight champion comes in the list of Top 10 UFC Women’s Fighters In 2022. The fighter has a record of 22-9 with a current win streak of 1 in her career. She is stated as 1st in UFC women’s flyweight rankings. The next match is been scheduled UFC Fight Night 207 where she will fight against Amanda Lemos.
7)Holly Holm
The former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion before Amanda enters the list of top 10 UFC women’s fighter. The fighter had won many titles and holds a record of 14-5 with a current win streak of 2 in her career. The next match for the fighter is been scheduled to take place in the mid way of this year the updates are not disclosed yet.
8)Carla Esparza
The grappling style fighter makes to the list with her grappling abilities in the match where she grabs the opponents and force them to substitute to win one of the easy ways to make through a match with less damage. She currently holds a record of 18-6 with a current win streak of 5. The next match is not been scheduled yet.
9)Marina Rodriguez
A professional Mixed martial artist who hold many a title in different division no doubt she is been qualified as the Top 10 UFC Women’s Fighters In 2022. She holds a current record of 15-1-2 with a current win streak of 3. The next match is been scheduled and will take place in UFC 272 where she will face againts one of the most famous among the all that is Yan Xiaonan.
A professional Mixed martial artist has many fighting abilities and style many known for his combo punches on the opponents which is unique and are not manageable by other fighter. The fighters hols a current record of 17-4 with a current win streak of 3 matches. Next match for her is not been scheduled yet stay updated on tha page to get live updates regarding UFC 2022 matches.
Top 5 UFC Female Boxers in the World Right Now 2022
Ultimate Fighting Championship is a professional sports contest amongst all the boxers. This is an American mixed martial arts sport. The organization is situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC is the largest MMA company which consists of the highest-ranking fighters in the world. It was introduced in the year 1993. So here we have the Top 5 UFC Female Boxers in the World Right Now 2022.
As we know that UFC is a professional boxing tournament, and there are rankings that are given to the players by the media members. The procedure of ranking was introduced in the year 2013 when the media members are asked to vote according to their preference of players by weight class.
Top 5 UFC Female Boxers in the World Right Now 2022
According to the sources and the rankings given by the members, we have listed out the top 5 female boxers across the world right now. So have a look at it and know their stats.
Zhang Weili is a Strawweight champion and Chinese mixed martial artist. She was born in the year 1989, 32 years of age, and participated in the UFC women’s contest. She had also competed in the Kunlun Championship, where she won her first title against Simone Duarte in the Kunlun Female Fight MMA 11th edition Strawweight championship in May 2017, and her second title, in August 2017.
She ranks at number 5 amongst UFC Women’s pound-for-pound rankings. She is the first Chinese Champion in UFC history. Her record is 21-3-0. Meanwhile, she is prepping for her next match, UFC 275 Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
4. Julianna Pena
Image Source: sportskeeda.com
Juliana Nicole Pena is a 32-year-old American professional MMA fighter. She competes in the UFC under the bantamweight division. She is the first woman to win The Ultimate Fighter in 2013. She is the current rank holder of the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion. She is placed at the 4th position of the UFC Women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Juliana is not just a boxer but she also works as an actress, where she was featured in her own MMA documentary Fight Life which was released in th year 2013 and it also won an award.
3. Rose Namajunas
Image Source: essentiallysports.com
Rose Namajunas who was born in the year 1992, is a 29-year-old American martial artist is the 3rd ranked UFC woman. She had competed in the UFC leagues, under the Strawweight category, adding to this she has won the title of UFC strawweight champion of the world twice. Here the record is 11-4, with a winning streak of 3. Her next match is going to be UFC 274 Carla Esparza.
Rose is known especially for her speed and reflexes. She takes the advantage of kinetic energy which makes the opponent stumped by her quick jabs and kick boxes.
2. Amanda Nunes
Image Source: ufc.com
Amanda Nunes is a mixed martial artist from the country of Brazil. She participates in the UFC league, and currently holds the second rank in the UFC Women pound-for-pound rankings. She is the current holder of the featherweight championship. She is the first woman to be a UFC champion in two different divisions. She is a former winner of the bantamweight championship.
She is a well-known fighter as she was the first and only fighter who defends two UFC titles. The record of her matches is 21–5.
1. Valentina Shevchenko
Image Source: for.kg
At the first rank, we have the current holder of the title of UFC Women’s Champion. She is a 34 year, Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian professional MMA fighter. She competed in the Flyweight division. She is known for her absolute counterpunch and counterattacks. She has complete knowledge of the distance of her opponents in the attacks which she analyses quickly.
She also has a special trick to block the opponent’s punches, which is a spinning wheel kick or the spinning back fist, her record is 22-3. With a winning streak of 8, her next match is going to be against UFC 275 Taila Santos.
Braxton Smith becomes latest fighter released as the UFC continues its merciless roster cut
The UFC has boldly decided to thin its ranks, bidding farewell to over 15 fighters across various weight divisions. Among the latest casualties is Braxton Smith, a heavyweight contender whose departure carries a captivating twist, given the circumstances that brought him to the promotion. Despite his recent arrival just a month ago, Smith’s unexpected debut at UFC 288 ended in a TKO defeat at the hands of Parker Porter, leaving behind a fleeting yet remarkable chapter in his UFC journey.
‘A Beautiful Monster’ has carved a unique path in the MMA world, sporting a remarkable record of 5 victories and only two setbacks. Despite a disappointing debut in the UFC, this formidable fighter left an indelible mark as the former Peak Fighting heavyweight titleholder. With a blend of beauty and beastly power, ‘A Beautiful Monster’ roars in the cage, captivating audiences with its electrifying presence and fierce determination.
As the UFC continues to trim its roster, fan outcry grows louder, echoing the disappointment and frustration over Braxton Smith’s recent departure from the promotion. The octagon’s ruthless axe swings again, severing ties with another talented fighter, leaving fans disheartened and questioning the organization’s decision-making. With each release, the UFC tests the loyalty of its devoted followers, leaving them longing for a brighter future and hoping that their favourite fighters find success elsewhere.
JLuizza reacted: “That’s what happens when you run out of gas in 1 min flat and then don’t know what ground game is or stand-ups or literally anything besides striking lmao.” (an article from sportskeeda.com reported)
Braxton Smith, the relentless force of the UFC! With a fiery spirit and unwavering determination, Smith unleashes chaos in the octagon, leaving opponents trembling in his wake. His lightning-fast strikes and impeccable grappling skills make him a formidable force to reckon with. Braxton Smith’s electrifying presence captivates fans as they eagerly await his next explosive performance. Brace yourself for the unstoppable power of this untamed warrior of the UFC.
Muay Thai fighter Jacie Buntan exceptionally knocked out Diandra Martin, making her way to a remarkable victory in the first round of the ONE Championship.
Buntan’s win shows her determined and competent attitude in the ring. She now stands with 5 wins and 1 loss at the competition.
The Filipino-American fighter faced an Australian that is 4 inches taller than her, having a height advantage. However, despite the differences, she undoubtedly used her boxing skills to land clean shots.
Small but deadly Buntan
Buntan also gave punch combinations in the first round, before her blow with an overhand right against the cage that finished the bout.
Jackie Buntan is a former ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title challenger and started learning martial arts in her preteen years under the guidance of the well-known Muay Thai coach Bryan Popejoy and ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing and Interim Muay Thai World Champion Janet “JT” Todd.
Through her perseverance and commitment, Buntan qualified to compete for the United States at the 2018 IFMA Pan American Championship. She proudly bagged a win for her represented country.
