Combat Press Women’s MMA Rankings: December 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 weight classes from strawweight up to featherweight, 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.

1. Amanda Nunes (1)
2. Cris “Cyborg” Justino (2)
3. Julia Budd (3)
4. Felicia Spencer (4)
5. Kayla Harrison (-)
6. Megan Anderson (5)
7. Cat Zingano (6)
8. Arlene Blencowe (7)
9. Pam Sorenson (8)
10. Janay Harding (-)

Dropped from the rankings: Jessy Miele (9), Talita Nogueira (10)

Kayla Harrison made her featherweight debut in November and storms into the rankings. The Olympian defeated Courtney King at Invicta FC 43. Janay Harding also joins the top 10 after defeating Jessy Miele at Bellator 251. Miele and Talita Nogueira now reside outside of the top 10.

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. Yana Kunitskaya (8)
9. Julianna Peña (9)
10. Marion Reneau (10)

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

1. Valentina Shevchenko (1)
2. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (2)
3. Jessica Andrade (3)
4. Liz Carmouche (4)
5. Katlyn Chookagian (7)
6. Cynthia Calvillo (5)
7. Jessica Eye (6)
8. Jennifer Maia (8)
9. Vanessa Porto (9)
10. Lauren Murphy (10)

The best flyweight in the world cemented her status in November. UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko defeated Jennifer Maia in the co-main event of UFC 255. On the same card, Katlyn Chookagian bested Cynthia Calvillo. Chookagian climbs into fifth with the win, while Calvillo slips to sixth.

1. Weili Zhang (1)
2. Rose Namajunas (2)
3. Joanna Jędrzejczyk (3)
4. Xiaonan Yan (-)
5. Claudia Gadelha (6)
6. Carla Esparza (7)
7. Marina Rodriguez (8)
8. Michelle Waterson (9)
9. Tecia Torres (10)
10. Amanda Ribas (-)

Dropped from the rankings: Tatiana Suarez (4), Nina Ansaroff (5)

Due to inactivity, Tatiana Suarez and Nina Ansaroff depart the rankings. Meanwhile, Amanda Ribas and Xiaonan Yan join the top 10. Xiaonan bested Claudia Gadelha to skyrocket to the No. 4 spot.

1. Seo Hee Ham (1)
2. Ayaka Hamasaki (2)
3. Alesha Zappitella (4)
4. Ashley Cummins (3)
5. Jessica Delboni (5)
6. Kanna Asakura (6)
7. Rena Kubota (7)
8. Lindsey VanZandt (8)
9. Mina Kurobe (9)
10. Kelly D’Angelo (10)

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