Women's MMA has exploded with dominant champions and legendary rivalries. From Ronda Rousey's breakthrough to Amanda Nunes's dynasty, who is the greatest women's fighter of all time?
1Amanda NunesThe Brazilian 'Lioness' who is universally considered the greatest female MMA fighter ever, simultaneously holding UFC bantamweight and featherweight titles while defeating every top contender.1000pts
2Valentina ShevchenkoThe Kyrgyzstani 'Bullet' who held the UFC flyweight title for over five years with seven defenses, then regained it in 2024 and defended it twice more before vacating it in 2026.977pts
3Kayla HarrisonThe two-time Olympic judo champion and three-time PFL lightweight champion who won the UFC bantamweight title by submitting Julianna Peña at UFC 316 in 2025.610pts
4Ronda RouseyThe trailblazer who put women's MMA on the map, going 12-0 before her shock loss to Holly Holm and becoming the first female UFC Hall of Famer.610pts
5Cris CyborgThe dominant Brazilian powerhouse who reigned unbeaten for nearly 13 years across multiple organizations, only losing to Amanda Nunes in her entire career.610pts
6Holly HolmThe former boxing world champion who produced one of the greatest upsets in UFC history by knocking out Ronda Rousey in 2015, later becoming a multi-sport combat sports legend.610pts
7Ilima-Lei MacfarlaneHawaiian who became Bellator's first women's flyweight champion in 2017 and defended the belt four times before her first career loss.553pts
8Carla EsparzaThe first-ever UFC women's strawweight champion who bookended her career with a stunning second title reign, defeating Rose Namajunas a decade after her initial championship.488pts
9Alexa GrassoThe Mexican champion who submitted Valentina Shevchenko in a legendary upset to win the flyweight title, becoming a national hero in Mexico.488pts
10Zhang WeiliThe first Chinese UFC champion who became one of the most exciting strawweights in history, holding the title twice with spectacular finishes.413pts
11Rose NamajunasThe two-time UFC strawweight champion who pulled off two stunning upsets over Joanna Jędrzejczyk and later knocked out Zhang Weili in her rematch.413pts
12Julianna PeñaThe 'Venezuelan Vixen' who shocked the world by submitting the seemingly unbeatable Amanda Nunes in 2021, becoming UFC bantamweight champion against all odds.325pts
13Germaine de RandamieDutch former kickboxing champion who became the first UFC women's featherweight champion in 2017 and spent years among the top bantamweights.325pts
14Mackenzie DernBrazilian-American jiu-jitsu world champion who won the UFC strawweight title in October 2025 with a decision over Virna Jandiroba.325pts
15Nicco MontañoThe first-ever UFC women's flyweight champion, a historic trailblazer who opened the flyweight division and whose Native American heritage made her title win culturally significant.325pts
16Miesha TateThe gritty former UFC bantamweight champion and long-time rival of Ronda Rousey who helped build the women's division and was known for her relentless grappling style.325pts
17Liz CarmoucheFormer Marine who fought Ronda Rousey in the first women's UFC bout in 2013 and later won and defended the Bellator flyweight title.325pts
18Larissa PachecoBrazilian two-time PFL season champion who in 2022 handed Kayla Harrison the first defeat of her professional career.222pts
19Gina CaranoMuay Thai-trained pioneer who became women's MMA's first mainstream star and headlined the 2009 Strikeforce title fight against Cris Cyborg, the first major women's main event.222pts
20Jessica AndradeThe powerful Brazilian slug-fest specialist who held the strawweight title and became known as one of the hardest hitters in women's MMA with multiple brutal KO victories.222pts
21Raquel PenningtonAmerican bantamweight who won the vacant UFC title by beating Mayra Bueno Silva in January 2024, a decade after reaching the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter.222pts
22Joanna JędrzejczykThe Polish striker who made five consecutive strawweight title defenses and is widely regarded as one of the greatest pure strikers in MMA history, male or female.0pts
Photo credits
- Cris Cyborg — Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0
- Ilima-Lei Macfarlane — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United States, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Germaine de Randamie — MMAnytt, CC BY 3.0
- Mackenzie Dern — Canal Faixa Preta, CC BY 3.0
- Larissa Pacheco — THE CAGE, CC BY 3.0
- Gina Carano — https://www.flickr.com/photos/acidhelm/ (Michael Dunn), CC BY 2.0
Comments 1
Three of her six title defences finished inside a minute, and Cris Cyborg went about thirteen years losing to nobody but Amanda Nunes: https://youpick.best/articles/ronda-rousey-ranked-many-ways
YP
ypb-teamAug 21
