The Women of UFC
The first official women UFC was in the United States in 1997, and the first worldwide encounter of UFC females started in 2013 between Rousey and Carmouche. Within a short period, UFC had the best female UFC fighters the world has ever seen. Many people would consider MMA to be too violent for women and also did not think it was serious until UFC started to purchase them.
The Best Female UFC in the World
Amanda Nunes
Amanda Nunes, a Brazilian mixed martial artist, was born on May 30, 1988. She is also known as the lioness, weighs 135lb (61kg), and is 5ft 8in (173cm) tall. Amanda Nunes started to box at 16, and her first performance in MMA was in 2008.
Amanda Nunes is the first woman to succeed in the two-weight division as UFC champion. She has been the reigning champion of the women’s Bantamweight UFC category. She was also the reigning champion of the featherweight category from 2008 to 2011, she lost, but in 2018 she won again and regained her title up to date.
She is also the first mere fighter to defend her titles while still holding them, and she is among the greatest women in MMA. Amanda Nunes holds the record for the most consecutive victorious UFC champions. Amanda Nunes has been an active fighter since 2008, with 21 wins and four losses.
Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko, a Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian mixed martial artist, was born on march 7, 1988. Her nickname is the bullet. She is also a former Muay Thai Fighter, and She started kickboxing at the young age of 12 years. From 2003 to 2015, Valentine Shevchenko won more than 90 matches in k-1 MuayThai and kickboxing.
Valentine won eight gold medals between 2003 and 2014 when she competed in the IFMA world championships and the IFMA Royal World Cup in 2015. She also defeated UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk three times and UFC fighters Jessica Andrade and Holly Holm.
Valentine has defended her Bantamweight and Flyweight titles and has been an active fighter since 2003, with 21 wins and three losses. Valentine is an essential member of the Greatest MMA Fighter, and she is among the 10 UFC fighters.
Rosa Namajunas
Rosa Namajunas is an American mixed martial artist born on June 29, 1992. She weighs 115 lb (52 kg) and is 5ft 5in (165cm) tall. Rosa Namajunas is also known as the thug.
At the age of 5, Rosa was already doing Taekwondo, and she won a Poom belt at the age of 9 while still practicing karate and BJJ. She started training in kickboxing and martial arts in high school.
On December 11, 2013, Rosa signed with UFC as a Strawweight fighter in UFC champions, and the Strawweight was the first ever fight in UFC. She is one of the Top 10 UFC best female Fighters in 2022; She is the two-time and current UFC Women’s Strawweight World Champion and the first female to ever regain a championship title after losing it in UFC history.
Rosa has been an active fighter since 2010, with ten wins and four losses.
Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili is a Chinese mixed martial artist, born on august 13, 1989. Zhang Weili is also known as the Magnum. She weighs 115lb (52kg ) and is 5ft 4in (163cm) tall.
Zhang made her first professional appearance in MMA in 2013. She is a former fighter in the Kunlun Strawweight champions. She is the first-ever Chinese and East Asian to join UFC history, where she competes in the Strawweight division.
Zhang Weili is also the former UFC women’s Strawweight champion in the world, the top 10 Best Female UFC Fighters 2022, and she earned the first spot in women’s Strawweight rankings and fourth position in UFC women’s Pound-for-Pound rankings.
She secured her title for the first time when she won against Joanna Jedrzejczyk on February 19, 2020. Zhang has been an active fighter since 2013, with 21 wins and two losses.
Joanna Jedrzejcyk
Joanna Jedrzejcyk, a martial artist from Poland, was born on August 18, 1987. She is 5ft 6in (168cm), and weighs 125lb (57kg). Joanna is a former professional MMA and Muay Thai kickboxing.
Joanna discovered Muay Thai as a teenager, and she has won 6 medals at the IFMA World Muay Thai championship. She got other titles such as world kickboxing networking and world Muay Thai council.
Joanna signed officially with UFC in July 2014. She competes in UFC women’s Strawweight champion and Flyweight championship. Joanna is the first Polish champion and female European to win the tournament.
She has always defended her titles, and she is one of the top 10 UFC women fighters. She has been fighting since 2012, with 16 wins and four losses.
Jessica Andrade
Jessica Andrade is a Brazilian mixed martial artist born on September 25, 1991. She weighs 125lb (57kg ) and is 5 ft 2in (157cm) tall. Jessica is also Bate Estaca, a name she was given by her teammates.
On September 6, 2011, Jessical made her first appearance in MMA. Jessica started as a Bantamweight fighter then, in October 2015, she decided to join the Strawweight division. Jessica had two consecutive losses in the Strawweight division and decided to join the Flyweight division.
She won the Flyweight title against Katlyn Chookagian at the UFC fight night on October 18, 2020, and she broke the record and became the first woman in history to win in three different weight divisions. The Flyweight fight earned her the performance of the night award.
Jessica holds the record for the most fights in UFC history, and she has been an active fighter from 2011 to date with 21 wins and nine losses.
Germaine De Randamie
Germaine De Randamie, a dutch professional mixed martial artist, was born on April 34, 1984. She weighs 135lb (61kg) and is 5ft 9in (175cm) tall. Germaine is also known as the Iron Lady.
Germaine performed her first MMA on December 19, 2008, but she lost. On September 11, 2010, Germaine won her first MMA at Playboy fight night. Germaine made her first appearance at UFC on July 27, 2013.
Germaine used to compete in the Strikeforce Featherweight category before joining UFC, and she is honored to be the first UFC women’s Featherweight champion. She is one of the best female Pound-for-Pound MMA fighters.
Germaine competes in the Bantamweight division in UFC women’s fights, and she has been an active fighter since 2008, with ten wins and four losses.
Holly Holm
Holly Holm, an American mixed martial artist, was born on October 17, 1981. Holly weighs 135lb (61kg) and is 5ft 8in (173cm) tall. She is also known as the preacher’s daughter, nicknamed this after her father, who is a preacher.
When she was 16 years, she started her career in boxing, kickboxing, and aerobics. In September 2001, Holm won the International Rules Adult Women’s Welterweight Division and the championship title at the International Kickboxing Federation.
Holm is regarded as the best female Welterweight champion in the world and holds the championship title of the ring magazine female fighter of the year. She also won the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night award bonus.
On July 10, 2014, Holm signed her contract with UFC. At UFC, she competes in the Bantamweight category and holds second in the UFC women’s Bantamweight ranking.
Holly is among the top 10 UFC female fighters, and she is the former UFC women’s Bantamweight champion and the first fighter to hold a world boxing title and the UFC title. She made history when she defeated Ronda Rousey and won the Bantamweight division.
In Mexico, her hometown, they have proclaimed November Holly Holm Month. Holly has been an active fighter since 2011, with 14 wins and five losses.
Carla Esparza
Carla Esparza, a mixed martial artist, was born on October 10, 1987. Carla weighs 115lb (52kg) and is 5ft 1in (155cm) tall. Carla’s nickname is the Cookie Monster.
Carla discovered her interest in MMA when she joined wrestling in junior high and won several tournaments in wrestling.
On December 11, 2013, Carla signed up with UFC to fight in the Strawweight category. Carla was the first woman to win the UFC Strawweight championship and the first to win the Invicta FC strawweight division. She won her first tournament at the ultimate fighter against Rosa Namajunas on December 12, 2014.
Carla has been an active fighter since 2010, with 18 wins and six losses in MMA.
Aspen Ladd
Aspen Ladd, an American mixed martial artist, was born on march 1, 1995. She is 5ft 6in (168cm) tall and weighs 137lb (62kg).
Aspen started training as a mixed martial artist at 14 years, and when she turned 18, she chose to concentrate on MMA fully.
In late 2014 Aspen signed with Invicta FC as a Bantamweight fighter. Aspen made her last promotion when she faced Sijara Eubanks on January 14, 2017, at Invicta FC, and she won. Aspen had a rematch with Sijara Eubanks on May 18, 2019, at UFC Fight Night; She won the fight after an agreement from both parties and earned the Fight of the Night award.
Aspen faced the former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion Tonya Evinger on October 6, 2018. She won the first round of the fight via TKO, earning herself the Performance of the Night award.
Aspen competes in the Bantamweight category of the UFC. She has been an active fighter since 2015, with nine wins and one loss.
The Bottom Line
Many of the best fighters within MMA, or UFC, kickboxing, or boxing, have been men and did not want women in the ring, and many thought MMA was too violent for women. It took a long time to embrace female MMA fighters, and sometimes they are excluded and do not receive promotions or much attention compared to men in MMA.
Everyone has a chance to join MMA, whether a man or a woman, and we should embrace all of them. UFC girl fighters are doing well, and some have more power, and their fights may be more dynamic and exciting than the male UFC fighters.
UFC has produced most of the best in the world, and the number of fighters is increasingly attracting new talents.