MMA was previously an exclusive boy club. Often considered "too violent" for women, it wasn't until 1997 that women began to fight officially in the US, and several years after that, for the first UFC women's match to take place. But since then, the many women who grace MMA have gone down as some of the best fighters in history. You can see them in promotional posters, high-profile matches, celebrity endorsements, betting lines on top sites like Betway, and more. In honor of these tougher-than-steel women, we look at the best female MMA fighters of 2022.
1. Valentina Shevchenko
If you study odds and betting lines when sports betting online, you have probably come across the name Valentina Shevchenko. Born on March 7, 1988, Shevchenko is a Peruvian and Kyrgyzstani professional MMA fighter and former Muay Thai athlete. She competes in the UFC in the Women’s Flyweight division, where she is the current champion. Shevchenko is widely considered one of the world’s best female fighters and a UFC household name, holding multiple accomplishments in the competition. Currently, she is ranked second in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
2. Amanda Nunes
Brazilian professional MMA fighter Amanda Nunes is the current champion of the UFC Women’s Featherweight division and a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Currently ranked first in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings, Nunes is also the first woman in the history of the competition to hold two major titles simultaneously.
3. Carla Esparza
Carla Esparza is an American professional MMA fighter and UFC artist in the Strawweight division, where she is a former two-time champion. On her belt, Esparza carries the first Invicta FC Strawweight Championship, the first UFC Strawweight Championship, and the distinction of being considered the world’s best strawweight fighter during the time she held each title. She currently ranks sixth in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
4. Holly Holm
Another American mixed martial artist, Holly Rene Holm, is a former kickboxer, boxer, and UFC Bantamweight Champion. As a boxer, she won multiple world championships, successfully defending her title in three weight classes. BoxRec ranks her as the all-time best female professional boxer. Holm also holds a Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has won 14 of her official 20 MMA fights. In the UFC, Holm gained notoriety at UFC 193 in a match widely considered the greatest upset in the history of combat sports. Holm beat out the previously undefeated Ronda Rousey to take home the Bantamweight title in front of a record-breaking crowd of over 56,000 people.
5. Julianna Peña
Juliana Peña is also an American professional MMA fighter. She competes in the UFC's Bantamweight division, where she previously held the championship. Currently ranked fourth in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings, Peña was the first woman in history to win The Ultimate Fighter.
6. Zhang Weili
Chinese MMA fighter Zhang Weili is affectionately known as Magnum among her fans. She competes in the UFC Strawweight division, where she is the reigning and two-time champion. A former Kunlun Fight Strawweight Champion, Weili is the first Chinese champion in the history of UFC. She is currently third in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.
7. Rose Namajunas
Namajunas began her amateur MMA career in 2010 before going pro in 2013. She competes in the UFC Strawweight division, where she is a former two-time champion. Also the first female UFC fighter to regain her title after losing it, Namajunas is currently fifth in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
8. Mackenzie Dern
MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist Mackenzie Dern has won 12 of her 15 official MMA fights, 7 by submission. Previously the world's number one ranked IBJJF competitor, she currently ranks sixth in the women's divisions. Dern is also a no gi BJJ (black belt) and ADCC World Champion.
9. Irene Aldana
Mexican MMA fighter Irene Aldana is a champion in her own right. Currently competing in the UFC Bantamweight division, she is ranked fourth in the division’s rankings and has won 14 out of her 20 MMA fights, 8 by knockout.
10. Alexa Grasso
Like Valentina Shevchenko, Alexa Grasso competes in the UFC Flyweight division, currently ranked fifth. She has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has won 15 of her 18 matches, 4 by knockout.
Conclusion
MMA sports betting online is the ultimate pastime. But, if you want to win, you cannot go wrong backing one of these highly accomplished female MMA fighters.
