Please note that the rankings are voted on by a panel of MMA Freak writers and that this is the inaugural women’s weight class rankings:
Featherweights
1. Cris “Cyborg” Justino- Invicta Fighting Championships Featherweight Champion: Will be trying for a cut to bantamweight sometime soon.
2. Marloes Coenen- Should go the weight class that Justino doesn’t, whether that means dropping to bantamweight or not.
3. Julia Budd- Should Justino stay at featherweight Julia Budd will probably be her next title defense or she will fight for the vacant title.
4. Faith Van Duin
5. Pannie Kianzad
6. Maria Hougaard
7. Talita Nogueira
8. Annalisa Bucci (tied)
8. Latoya Walker (tied)
8. Ashlee Evans-Smith (tied)
Bantamweights
1. Ronda Rousey- Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Women’s Bantamweight Champion: Will be facing contender Alexis Davis at UFC 175.
2. Alexis Davis (tied)- Like UFC Champion Ronda Rousey is preparing for a title fight to take place at UFC 175 on July 5th or this year.
2. Cat Zingano (tied)
4. Sarah Kaufman
5. Miesha Tate
6. Sara McMann
7. Jessica Eye
8. Liz Carmouche
9. Lauren Murphy- Invicta Fighting Championships Bantamweight Champion: Will likely be competing in the new few months at Invicta 8.
10. Holly Holm- Legacy Fighting Championship Women’s Bantamweight Champion: One fight remains on her contract before it expires.
Contenders
The following fighters recieved votes for the bantamweight division and are contenders: Bethe Correira, Amanda Nunes, Shayna Baszler.
Flyweights
1. Barb Honchak- Invicta Fighting Championships Flyweight Champion: Will most likely fight in the next few months at Invicta FC 8.
2. Vanessa Porto
3. Leslie Smith
4. Jennifer Maia
5. Kalindra Faria
6. Juliana Werner
7. Joanna Jedrezejczyk
8. Julia Berezikova
9. Nina Ansaroff
10. Sarah Alpar (tied)
10. DeAnna Bennett (tied)
Strawweights
1. Jessica Aguilar- World Series of Fighting’s Women’s Strawweight Champion: Will most likely fight sometime during the summer or fall.
2. Carla Esparza- former Invicta Fighting Championship Strawweight Champion: Is set to appear on TUF 20 which begins filming soon.
3. Claudia Gadelha
4. Joanna Calderwood
5. Tecia Torres
6. Ayaka Hamasaki
7. Katja Kankaanpaa
8. Felice Herrig- One of the cast members of the upcoming TUF season 20 waiting for the word on when filming for the show will start.
9. Mizuki Inoue
10. Bec Rawlings
Contenders
The followering fighters recieved votes for the strawweight division and are considered contenders in the division: Herica Tiburcio.
Atomweights
1. Michelle Waterson- Invicta Fighting Championships Atomweight Champion: Will most likely compete in the next few months at Invicta 8.
2. Jessica Penne- Former Invicta Fighting Championships Atomweight Champion: Tried out for The Ultimate Fighter season 20 recently.
3. Naho Sugiyama
4. Seo Hee Haam
5. Amber Brown
6. Yasuko Tamata
7. Lacey Schuckman
8. Cassie Rodish
9. Simona Soukupova
10. Sadae Numata