Sherdog’s WMMA Pound-for-Pound Top 10

---

Kayla Harrison can now call herself a champion in two promotions.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist captured bantamweight gold in dominant fashion in the UFC 316 headliner, as she submitted Julianna Pena with a second-round kimura on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. After twice winning Professional Fighters League championships at 155 pounds, Harrison defied the odds by making a difficult weight cut to earn hardware in the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization.

While a big-ticket showdown with former No. 1 pound-for-pound queen Amanda Nunes looms, it’s fair to wonder how many more times Harrison will be able to make the draining cut to 135 pounds. No matter what the future holds in that regard, the American Top Team stalwart has earned her No. 4 ranking in Sherdog’s latest pound-for-pound poll. When considering her Olympic and MMA achievements, Harrison might also be in the running for greatest female combat athlete of all time.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

1. Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1) | UFC [1]

While the outcome was in doubt right up until the end, Shevchenko survived a stern test from Manon Fiorot to retain her flyweight crown in the UFC 315 co-headliner. Though Fiorot slowed the action down in the clinch, Shevchenko authored the more memorable moments in the contest, including a knockdown in Round 4. With 10 victories in title bouts over the course of her career, “Bullet” has consistently proven herself when the stakes are at their highest. A showdown against rising star Natalia Silva could be next for the 37-year-old Kyrgyzstan native.

2. Weili Zhang (26-3) | UFC [2]

Zhang was more dominant than anyone could have imagined in the UFC 312 co-main event, as she overwhelmed Tatiana Suarez for four rounds after dropping the opening stanza. Not only did Zhang batter her opponent on the feet, but she also controlled the vast majority of the grappling exchanges against an accomplished wrestler. “Magnum” is now tied for the most title victories (six) in UFC strawweight history, and there doesn’t appear to be a clear threat to her reign at the top of the division at this point in time.

3. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (28-2, 1 NC) | PFL [3]

Even at 39 years old, “Cyborg” remains the cream of the crop in the women’s featherweight division. She once again proved her supremacy in the PFL “Battle of the Giants” co-main event, where she outdueled Larissa Pacheco for five rounds to capture the promotion’s Superfights belt. The heavy-handed Brazilian has now captured championships in the UFC, PFL, Strikeforce, Bellator and Invicta, making her perhaps the most accomplished female fighter ever. With a lack of depth at 145 pounds, Justino’s next move will prove to be interesting indeed.

4. Kayla Harrison (19-1) UFC [15]

After hitting 135 pounds on the nose for the first time, Harrison handled her business at UFC 316, rolling to a second-round submission victory over Julianna Pena to claim bantamweight gold at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7. The two-time Olympic gold medalist has lived up to her advance billing since signing with the UFC, and things only figure to get more interesting in the months to come: After winning the title, Harrison squared off with Amanda Nunes inside the Octagon, setting the stage for a high stakes clash in the near future.

5. Natalia Silva (19-5-1) | UFC [4]

Silva relied on her speed, movement and athleticism to confound Alexa Grasso for the better part of 15 minutes during their encounter at UFC 315 on May 10 in Montreal. By taking a clear-cut unanimous decision over the former flyweight queen, the 28-year-old Brazilian extends her Octagon winning streak to seven and inserts herself right into the thick of the 125-pound title picture. Silva’s overall professional winning streak sits at 13 and dates back to 2018.

6. Manon Fiorot (12-2) | UFC [5]

Fiorot shook off a rough start to give Valentina Shevchenko a stern test in the UFC 315 co-main event, but it wasn’t quite enough to take the belt away from the reigning champion. The Frenchwoman was at her best when the fight was ugly, but she ultimately failed to author enough memorable moments to get the nod on the judges’ scorecards. The Frenchwoman sees a 12-fight professional winning streak snapped in defeat, but she remains near the top of the division.

7. Alexa Grasso (16-5-1) | UFC [6]

In her first fight against an opponent other than Valentina Shevchenko since 2022, Grasso struggled with the speed and movement of Natalia Silva, losing a lopsided unanimous decision in a featured bout at UFC 315 in Montreal. The Lobo Gym MMA standout seems far removed from her massive upset of Shevchenko in March 2023, but at just 31 years old, she still has plenty of time to rebound from a frustrating performance. However, she’ll likely need a few wins to return to championship contention.

8. Erin Blanchfield (13-2) UFC [7]

After suffering her first UFC defeat against Manon Fiorot in March, Blanchfield rebounded with a pivotal, five-round unanimous decision triumph against former strawweight queen Rose Namajunas in the UFC Edmonton co-main event. “Cold Blooded” started slowly, but she was gradually able to take control over the bout’s final 15 minutes. The New Jersey was looking to add to her record in a headlining bout against Maycee Barber at UFC Vegas 107, but her opponent withdrew due to “health issues” just minutes before the bout was set to begin.

9. Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) | PFL [8]

After rolling through largely unheralded opposition in her first 13 professional outings, Ditcheva made a significant statement at the PFL Championships, where she stopped former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in the second round of the co-headlining clash. With a resume that now includes flyweight titles in the PFL and PFL Europe, Ditcheva appears to be fulfilling her considerable potential. The Brit’s next step will likely be a spot on an upcoming PFL Champions Series card.

10. Rose Namajunas (13-7) | UFC [9]

Things appeared to be going well for Namajunas in the early rounds against Erin Blanchfield at UFC Edmonton, but “Thug” Rose was unable to keep the fight at her preferred range down the stretch. That resulted in a narrow five-round defeat for the former strawweight champion, who falls to 2-2 since moving to 125 pounds and sees her title hopes dashed for the time being. Next, Namajunas will face Miranda Maverick on June 14.

Other Contenders: Larissa Pacheco, Seika Izawa, Julianna Pena, Raquel Pennington, Taila Santos.

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, Marcelo Alonso, Keith Shillan, Tyler Treese, Sayan Nag and Robert Sargent.