Katlyn Chookagian (R) (Facebook.com/CageFuryFC)

Combat Press Women’s MMA Rankings: June 2020

With the growing popularity of women’s MMA, it is important to recognize these women with a rankings system of their own. Between the UFC’s inclusion of a bantamweight division, its addition of the strawweight and flyweight divisions, Bellator’s increasing attention to the women’s side of the sport, and the all-female promotion of Invicta FC, more and more women are being exposed to casual and hardcore fans alike. Every month, Combat Press compiles the staff’s individual rankings from featherweight to atomweight to create the Combat Press Women’s MMA Rankings.

Note: the numbers in parentheses represent the fighter’s ranking from the previous rankings.

Featherweight Division (61.9-66.3 kilograms)
  1. Amanda Nunes (1)
  2. Cris “Cyborg” Justino (2)
  3. Julia Budd (3)
  4. Felicia Spencer (4)
  5. Megan Anderson (5)
  6. Arlene Blencowe (6)
  7. Pam Sorenson (7)
  8. Jessy Miele (8)
  9. Talita Nogueira (9)
  10. Kaitlin Young (10)

No fighters in the top 10 were in action during the last month, so the rankings remain unchanged. In June, UFC women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes will defend her title at UFC 250 against Felicia Spencer.


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Bantamweight Division (57.3-61.8 kilograms)
  1. Amanda Nunes (1)
  2. Germaine de Randamie (2)
  3. Holly Holm (3)
  4. Raquel Pennington (4)
  5. Aspen Ladd (5)
  6. Irene Aldana (6)
  7. Ketlen Vieira (7)
  8. Cat Zingano (8)
  9. Julianna Peña (9)
  10. Yana Kunitskaya (10)

No fighters in the top 10 were in action during the last month, so the rankings remain unchanged. In June, Aspen Ladd will look to continue her climb up the rankings when she fights former title challenger Sara McMann.

Flyweight Division (52.8-57.2 kilograms)
  1. Valentina Shevchenko (1)
  2. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (2)
  3. Liz Carmouche (3)
  4. Jessica Eye (4)
  5. Katlyn Chookagian (5)
  6. Jennifer Maia (6)
  7. Vanessa Porto (7)
  8. Joanne Calderwood (8)
  9. Roxanne Modafferi (9)
  10. Lauren Murphy (10)

Katlyn Chookagian got a small measure of revenge in May when she defeated Antonina Shevchenko, the sister of UFC champ Valentina Shevchenko, at UFC on ESPN 9. In June, Jessica Eye welcomes Cynthia Calvillo to the flyweight division. Also, Jennifer Maia will take on Viviane Araujo. Roxanne Modafferi and Lauren Murphy are also set to clash in a pivotal bout that could move one lady up the rankings.

Strawweight Division (50.1-52.7 kilograms)
  1. Weili Zhang (1)
  2. Jessica Andrade (2)
  3. Rose Namajunas (3)
  4. Joanna Jędrzejczyk (4)
  5. Tatiana Suarez (5)
  6. Nina Ansaroff (6)
  7. Claudia Gadelha (7)
  8. Carla Esparza (8)
  9. Marina Rodriguez (tie-9)
  10. Michelle Waterson (tie-9)

Dropped from the rankings: Alexa Grasso (10)

Claudia Gadelha and Carla Esparza held onto their spots in the rankings with May wins. Gadelha narrowly defeated Angela Hill at UFC on ESPN 8. Esparza took out fellow ranked fighter Michelle Waterson at UFC 249.

Atomweight Division (Under 50.1 kilograms)
  1. Seo Hee Ham (1)
  2. Ayaka Hamasaki (2)
  3. Jinh Yu Frey (3)
  4. Minna Grusander (4)
  5. Ashley Cummins (5)
  6. Jessica Delboni (6)
  7. Kanna Asakura (7)
  8. Rena Kubota (8)
  9. Alesha Zappitella (9)
  10. Lindsey VanZandt (10)

No fighters in the top 10 were in action during the last month, so the rankings remain unchanged.


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