Who is the world's best women's bantamweight fighter? My latest top 10 ranking is listed below, with Amanda Nunes leading the way at No. 1.
Who is the best fighter regardless of weight class? See ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings. Plus, check out our men's pound-for-pound rankings.
Note: Results through April 11, 2018.
= champion
1. Amanda Nunes
• Record: 15-4
• Next: UFC 224 on May 12, vs. Raquel Pennington
Nunes remains the UFC's bantamweight champion, after a razor close decision against Valentina Shevchenko. Some will say she didn't deserve the scorecards that night, but that doesn't remove the belt around her waist. She's up to two title defenses.
2. Valentina Shevchenko
• Record: 15-3
• Next:TBD
Following a razor-thin loss to Amanda Nunes for the UFC's bantamweight title in 2017, Shevchenko has dropped to the 125-pound flyweight division. She's considered a favorite to win the title there, and possibly hold it for years to come.
3. Julianna Pena
• Record: 8-3
• Next: TBD
Peña suffered her first UFC defeat in the form of a second-round armbar to Valentina Shevchenko. The Venezuelan Vixen is still two things: Young and talented. She's a bounce back candidate, for sure.
4. Raquel Pennington
• Record: 9-5
• Next: UFC 224 on May 12, vs. Amanda Nunes
Pennington has turned a corner by winning her last four bouts. The victory over Miesha Tate at UFC 205 finally got her some overdue attention. She'll be looking to turn that into a big fight.
5. Ketlen Vieira
• Record: 10-0
• Next: TBD
The Brazilian prospect has now defeated two former title challengers in her last two fights: Sara McMann and Cat Zingano. She's a physical presence at this weight class, riding the type of confidence that comes with an unbeaten record.
6. Germaine de Randamie
• Record: 7-3
• Next: TBD
De Randamie is the UFC's first women's featherweight champion, although it came under some controversy due to several late punches thrown in the fight against Holly Holm. Since that featherweight bout was, in some ways, a blown up bantamweight fight, she jumps up the rankings at 135 pounds for now.
7. Holly Holm
• Record: 11-4
• Next: TBD
Holm moved up in weight in December to challenge Cris 'Cyborg' Justino, and drew wide praise for doing so. Not only did she take the fight, she went five rounds with the dangerous Brazilian. It wasn't a bad night for Holm by any means, but she's now dropped four of her last five. Can she get any momentum back at 135 pounds?
8. Sara McMann
• Record: 11-4
• Next: UFC Fight Night on Feb. 24, vs. Marlon Reneau
Oh boy. It's certainly not time to call curtains on the 36-year-old bantamweight, but an upset loss to Ketlen Vieira at UFC 215 is an enormous setback. This division is pretty open and McMann has the tools to defeat most of the other contenders here, but for someone who was knocking on the door of a second title shot, this loss hurts.
9. Marion Reneau
• Record: 9-3-1
• Next: TBD
Reneau is arguably putting together the best work of her career, and it's happening after her 40th birthday. A submission win against a skidding Sara McMann (which Reneau earned in February) probably doesn't mean quite what it used to, but it's still a phenomenal result for rising contender in this division.
9. Tonya Evinger
• Record: 19-6
• Next: TBD
Evinger did not come close to defeating Cyborg Justino at UFC 214, but that loss doesn't affect her standing at 135 pounds. She'll remain in the UFC, where she wants to be, and look to make waves in her natural weight class.
10. Leslie Smith
• Record: 10-7-1
• Next: UFC Fight Night on April 21, vs. Aspen Ladd
Smith's overall record doesn't scream 'ranked contender,' but while several high-profile names in this division have either retired or fallen off a cliff in production, Smith has quietly won three of her last four.