Sherdog’s WMMA Pound-for-Pound Top 10

While we might not always agree with the outcomes it produces, mixed martial arts is rarely boring.

Such was the case at UFC Fight Night 227, where an epic rematch between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko ultimately ended in a disappointing split draw. The culprit for that result was a perplexing scorecard submitted by cageside judge Mike Bell, who scored Round 5 10-8 in favor of Grasso. While Grasso winning the final frame is a reasonable outcome, her late push in that round isn’t viewed as the type of dominance to warrant such a tally. Had Bell scored the period 10-9 for Grasso, Shevchenko would have regained the flyweight crown with a split-decision triumph.

Instead, Grasso remains atop the division by the slimmest of margins, and there is no movement for either woman in Sherdog’s latest pound-for-pound rankings. It seems that a trilogy remains very much in play.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

1. Amanda Nunes (23-5) | UFC [1]

Nunes was rarely threatened in a lopsided unanimous decision triumph over Irene Aldana in the UFC 289 headliner, and she capped off that performance by announcing her retirement from mixed martial arts. “Lioness” exits the sport as a two-division champion and arguably the most accomplished female fighter of all-time with a resume that includes wins over the likes of Cristiane Justino, Valentina Shevchenko (twice), Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, Germaine de Randamie and Julianna Pena. While Nunes leaves a potential trilogy with Pena on the table, she really had nothing left to accomplish in a decorated career. If her retirement holds up, Nunes’ rankings eligibility will expire on June 10, 2024.

2. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (26-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [2]

It took a little bit longer than their first meeting, but “Cyborg” nonetheless improved to 2-0 against Arlene Blencowe with a unanimous decision triumph in the Bellator 279 main event at Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. The reigning featherweight queen has won six straight since her shocking loss to Amanda Nunes in December 2018 and still looks to be head and shoulders above the 145-pound field in Bellator. After an extended layoff that included a pair of boxing matches, Justino has re-signed with Bellator and will defend her crown against Cat Zingano at Bellator 300.

3. Alexa Grasso (16-3-1) | UFC [3]

Grasso proved she was no fluke in the UFC Fight Night 227 headliner, as she battled Valentina Shevchenko tooth-and-nail for five rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The end result was a split draw that provided little in the way of closure for either woman, but it does allow Grasso gets to keep her flyweight crown for at least one more defense. Given the competitive nature of the rematch, a trilogy with Shevchenko remains very much in play.

4. Weili Zhang (24-3) | UFC [4]

Zhang bullied Amanda Lemos for five rounds, winning a lopsided decision triumph in the UFC 292 co-main event. Currently on her second reign as strawweight queen, “Magnum” has rebounded from back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas in 2021 to win her last three outings in impressive fashion. With a resume that includes notable wins over the likes of Lemos, Carla Esparza, Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice), Jessica Andrade and Tecia Torres, the Chinese standout ranks among the top females in the sport.

5. Valentina Shevchenko (23-4-1) | UFC [5]

Shevchenkodisplayed a champion’s resolve in her rematch with Alexa Grasso at UFC Fight Night 227, but a split draw kept “Bullet” from regaining the title she held for more than four years. To her credit, Shevchenko rebounded from being dropped for the first time in her UFC tenure to author a strong performance behind a stiff jab, solid wrestling and positional control. While Shevchenko felt she did enough to deserve the nod on the scorecards, the performance could very well be enough to warrant a trilogy bout against her Mexican rival.

6. Carla Esparza (19-7) | UFC [6]

Esparza’s second reign as strawweight champion was as short-lived as the first, as she relinquished the crown to Weili Zhang in a second-round submission defeat in the UFC 281 co-main event. “Cookie Monster” rebuilt her career after the first title bout loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in 2015, and it’s possible she could rise to the top again — especially if the title changes hands. After having a six-bout winning streak snapped in defeat, Esparza will be in line to face another highly ranked foe in her next outing. That won’t come until 2024, as Esparza recently revealed that she is awaiting the birth of her first child.

7. Liz Carmouche (19-7) | Bellator [7]

Down 3-0 on the scorecards in her rematch against DeAnna Bennett, Carmouche showed her mettle with a fourth-round submission victory in the Bellator 294 headliner in Honolulu. Though her opponent missed weight, Carmouche risked vacating the 125-pound strap had she suffered an upset loss. Instead, “Girl-Rilla” has won six consecutive fights since signing with Bellator MMA. Next on the agenda is a title defense against friend and longtime training partner Ilima-Lei Macfarlane at Bellator 300.

8. Manon Fiorot (11-1) | UFC [8]

Fiorot relied on her superior size and power in the UFC Fight Night 225 co-main event, as she captured a unanimous decision triumph against former 115-pound champion Rose Namajunas. That makes six consecutive victories for Fiorot, tying her with Erin Blanchfield for the longest active winning streak in the division. She ranks among the top contenders for the next title shot at 125 pounds.

9. Erin Blanchfield (11-1) UFC [9]

Blanchfield staked her claim to the No. 1 contender’s spot at 125 pounds, as she garnered a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph against former title challenger Taila Santos at UFC Fight Night 225 in Singapore. Blanchfield’s six-fight winning streak is currently the longest in the flyweight division, and she wasn’t shy about calling out the winner of the Alexa Grasso-Valentina Shevchenko championship rematch set for Sept. 16.

10. Rose Namajunas (11-6) | UFC [10]

One bout removed from a perplexing performance against in a title bout against Carla Esparza, Namajunas came up short in her flyweight debut, losing a unanimous decision to Manon Fiorot at UFC Fight Night 225 in Paris. Though “Thug” Rose appeared to have injured her right hand in the bout, she also struggled with the size and physicality of an opponent in a larger weight class. It will be interesting to see how Namajunas rebounds from the second two-fight skid of her professional career.

Other Contenders: Xiaonan Yan, Julianna Pena, Seika Izawa, Raquel Pennington, Larissa Pacheco.

Sherdog’s divisional and pound-for-pound rankings are compiled by a panel of Sherdog.com staff members and contributors: Tristen Critchfield, Mike Fridley, Brian Knapp, Ben Duffy, Jay Pettry, Robert Sargent, Keith Shillan, Mike Sloan, Tyler Treese, John Brannigan and Lev Pisarsky.