Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Women’s Bantamweight

1. Amanda Nunes (19-4)

It wasn’t a breathtaking knockout like some of her recent efforts, but Nunes showed a different aspect of her game at UFC 245. “Lioness” grounded Germaine de Randamie repeatedly and controlled the majority of their fight from top position en route to a unanimous decision victory in a bantamweight title clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Additionally, Nunes had to survive a few moments of adversity — something she hasn’t experienced of late — to earn her 10th straight triumph in the Octagon. Nunes will defend her featherweight crown next when she meets Felicia Spencer at UFC 250 in Brazil on May 9.

2. Germaine de Randamie (9-4)

De Randamie certainly had her moments against Amanda Nunes at UFC 245, but a lack of consistent takedown defense ultimately proved to be her undoing. “The Iron Lady” had some success on the feet and even threatened with a few submissions, but she was largely controlled on the canvas in losing a unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As long as she’s active, the Dutchwoman figures to remain one of the top contenders in the division, as her only two defeats in nine bouts since 2012 have come at the hands of Nunes.

3. Holly Holm (13-5)

Holm did just enough at UFC 246, as she neutralized Raquel Pennington in the clinch over the course of three rounds to earn a unanimous verdict in a rematch of a 2015 bout which was also won by “The Preacher’s Daughter.” While Holm still harbors dreams of UFC title contention, the Jackson-Wink MMA product will likely need a more memorable performance to warrant consideration. Still, Holm has won two of her last three Octagon appearances and remains one of the promotion’s most well-known females by virtue of her upset win against Ronda Rousey.

4. Aspen Ladd (9-1)

Ladd rebounded from her disappointing loss to Germaine de Randamie this past summer in resounding fashion at UFC on ESPN 7, as she scored a third-round technical knockout victory against Yana Kunitskaya in Washington, D.C. One of the bantamweight division’s most ferocious competitors, Ladd has won four of her first five Octagon appearances, with three of those triumphs coming against opponents currently in Sherdog.com’s bantamweight poll. Ladd was supposed to meet Julianna Pena at UFC on ESPN 8, but Pena has withdrawn from the March 28 bout due to injury.

5. Raquel Pennington (10-8)

After losing a split-decision to Holly Holm in Holm’s Octagon debut at UFC 184, Pennington had a chance for revenge in the UFC 246 co-main event. Instead, Pennington was largely neutralized in the clinch for three rounds en route to losing a lackluster unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The former bantamweight title challenger has now lost three of her last four Octagon appearances, with her only victory during that time coming against rising contender Irene Aldana.

6. Irene Aldana (12-5)

Aldana made a statement at UFC 245, knocking out the previously unbeaten Ketlen Vieira with a jumping left hook in the opening stanza of their preliminary bantamweight clash in Las Vegas. The Mexican fighter has now won five of her last six Octagon appearances and after besting an opponent who had been viewed as a top contender in the division, has to be on the short list of potential 135-pound title challengers.

7. Yana Kunitskaya (12-5)

Kunitskaya saw a modest two-fight winning streak come to an end at UFC on ESPN 7, as she fell to Aspen Ladd via third-round technical knockout in a featured contest at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Kunitskaya had some success in the clinch in the second stanza but was dropped by a short left hook and follow-up ground-and-pound in the final frame. After challenging for featherweight gold in her Octagon debut, the 30-year-old Russian is now 2-2 in UFC competition overall.

8. Ketlen Vieira (10-1)

Vieira kicked off her Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure with four straight victories, and after consecutive impressive performances against former title challengers Sara McMann and Cat Zingano, was considered to be a top contender for bantamweight gold. That momentum slowed somewhat after a prolonged absence, and in her first bout in more than a year she was shockingly knocked out in the opening stanza by Irene Aldana at UFC 245. The 28-year-old Nova Uniao product will attempt to get back on track against Marion Reneau at UFC 250 in Sao Paulo.

9. Sara McMann (12-5)

McMann was completely dominant against Lina Lansberg at UFC Raleigh, earning scorecards of 30-26 and 30-25 in a unanimous decision triumph. It was an impressive return to the Octagon for the Olympic silver medalist, who hadn’t competed in nearly two years. At 39 years old, the former 135-pound title challenger still looks like a difficult test for virtually anyone in the division.

10. Lina Lansberg (10-5)

Lansberg was unable to mount much of a threat against Olympic silver medalist wrestler Sara McMann, losing a lopsided unanimous verdict at UFC Fight Night 166 in Raleigh, N.C., on Jan. 25. “The Elbow Queen” had established some momentum in the bantamweight division following decision wins over Tonya Evinger and Macy Chiasson in 2019, but McMann demonstrated that the 37-year-old Swede still has some work to do to break into the division’s upper echelon.

Other Contenders: Tonya Evinger, Marion Reneau, Macy Chiasson, Julianna Pena, Karol Rosa.

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