Jessica Delboni (R) (Dave Mandel/Invicta FC)

Combat Press Women’s MMA Rankings: February 2022

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 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 month.


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Featherweight (61.9-66.3 kilograms)
  1. Amanda Nunes (1)
  2. Cris “Cyborg” Justino (2)
  3. Kayla Harrison (3)
  4. Julia Budd (4)
  5. Norma Dumont (5)
  6. Cat Zingano (6)
  7. Megan Anderson (7)
  8. Felicia Spencer (8)
  9. Arlene Blencowe (9)
  10. Pam Sorenson (10)

No top-10 fighters competed in the featherweight division in the month of January, so the rankings remain unchanged. As of now, no top-10 women are scheduled to compete in February.

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

No top-10 fighters competed in the bantamweight division in the month of January, so the rankings remain unchanged. As of now, no top-10 women are scheduled to compete in February.

Flyweight (52.8-57.2 kilograms)
  1. Valentina Shevchenko (1)
  2. Liz Carmouche (2)
  3. Jessica Andrade (3)
  4. Katlyn Chookagian (4)
  5. Jennifer Maia (5)
  6. Juliana Velasquez (6)
  7. Ilima Macfarlane (7)
  8. Lauren Murphy (8)
  9. Andrea Lee (9)
  10. Taila Santos (10)

In January, Katlyn Chookagian solidified her fourth ranking by besting Jennifer Maia in impressive fashion. As of now, no top-10 women are scheduled to compete in February.

Strawweight (50.1-52.7 kilograms)
  1. Rose Namajunas (1)
  2. Weili Zhang (2)
  3. Joanna Jędrzejczyk (3)
  4. Carla Esparza (4)
  5. Xiaonan Yan (5)
  6. Marina Rodriguez (7)
  7. Michelle Waterson (8)
  8. Tecia Torres (9)
  9. Amanda Ribas (10)
  10. Mackenzie Dern (NR)

Dropped out of the rankings: Claudia Gadelha (6)

Mackenzie Dern debuts in the top 10 this month after it was confirmed that Claudia Gadelha is indeed retired. No top-10 fighters competed in the strawweight division in the month of January, so the rankings remain unchanged. As of now, no top-10 women are scheduled to compete in February.

Atomweight (Under 50.1 kilograms)
  1. Seo Hee Ham (1)
  2. Ayaka Hamasaki (2)
  3. Jessica Delboni (5)
  4. Alesha Zappitella (3)
  5. Ashley Cummins (4)
  6. Kanna Asakura (6)
  7. Rena Kubota (7)
  8. Lindsey VanZandt (8)
  9. Miyuu Yamamoto (9)
  10. Alyona Rassohyna (10)

In January, Jessica Delboni scored some revenge over Alesha Zappitella, as the Brazilian won the Invicta FC title in a rematch. That has pushed her into the number-three spot in the rankings, a high for her in these rankings. As of now, no top-10 women are scheduled to compete in February.


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