#20 – Mackenzie Dern
Mackenzie Dern actively fights in the strawweight division and is ranked #7. She is the daughter of renowned BJJ black belt Wellington “Megaton” Dias and quickly took after her father, starting in his academy at three years old. Holding the same credentials, the Arizona native has a pile of accolades to compliment her arrival into the UFC such as BJJ 2x World Champ at black belt, IBJJF #1 ranked female, and No Gi World Champ. Dern’s promotional debut was at UFC 222, where she won via split decision against Ashley Yoder. Entering the UFC allowed her to add to the resume, earning Performance of the Night (three), Fight of the Night (one), most submission wins in the UFC Strawweight division (four), and second-most submission wins in the UFC among women (four). Dern has only been professional for seven years and hopes to keep adding to her already impressive resume.
(Watch Alexa Grasso On UFC Fight Pass)
#17 – Cat Zingano
Cat “Alpha” Zingano competed in the UFC bantamweight and featherweight division. Before her departure she was ranked #7 in the bantamweight rankings. She made her UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs Team Sonnen Finale, defeating Miesha Tate by TKO in the first women’s bout to earn Fight of the Night. Next, the Minnesota native defeated Amanda Nunes via TKO at UFC 178, which then set her up to compete against Ronda Rousey for the UFC bantamweight championship. Zingano doesn’t currently compete with the UFC but while she was here, she paved the way for the future generation of women in mixed martial arts.
(Watch Cat Zingano On UFC Fight Pass)
#16 – Sara McMann
Sara McMann made history in 2004 when she became the first American woman to earn a silver medal in Olympic wrestling. She made the transition to MMA in 2010 and signed with the UFC in 2013. Fighting in the bantamweight division, McMann has been placed in the Octagon with some of the most notable women in the sport like Amanda Nunes, Julianna Peña, and Miesha Tate. Despite the adversity that the Maryland native has faced, she has four first-round finishes, four wins by submission and a current record of 13-6.
(Watch Michelle Waterson On UFC Fight Pass)
#13 – Julianna Peña
Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña started kickboxing the summer of ‘08 and never looked back. Peña is currently one of the most recognizable women in the UFC because of her extensive resume over a decade that includes being the first ever woman to win The Ultimate Fighter and the 2021 Upset of the Year vs Amanda Nunes in 2021. That rear naked choke victory earned her the bantamweight championship and, to top it all off, a Performance of the Night bonus. Peña met Nunes again at UFC 277 and ultimately lost, but still sits at #1 in the bantamweight rankings and #6 on the pound-for-pound list. The Washington native has an overall record of 12-5.
(Watch Julianna Peña On UFC Fight Pass)
#12 – Claudia Gadelha
Claudia Gadelha fell in love with Jiu Jitsu when she was very young. The Brazilian has won the BJJ World Championship three times at brown belt and now has a black belt in BJJ. The mixed martial artist began her professional journey in 2008 and started with the UFC in 2013. Gadelha was a pioneer in the strawweight division as she was picked to be one of the fighters that would compete on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter which would name the first strawweight champion. Unfortunately, she couldn’t compete, but her first bout in the UFC ended in victory, with her beating Tina Lähdemäki. She had a very successful seven-year career as she earned Fight of the Night twice and a Performance of the Night for her rear-naked choke against Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Gadelha is now retired but is still very involved with the UFC as her main role is to develop young athletes.
(Watch Claudia Gadelha On UFC Fight Pass)
#11 – Carla Esparza
Carla “The Cookie Monster” Esparza is one of the most decorated female fighters of all-time. Esparza was an All-American collegiate wrestler and began training in BJJ her junior year. She became pro in 2010 fighting under Bellator, XFC, and Invicta FC before entering the UFC in 2013. She won The Ultimate Fighter season 20, the inaugural strawweight season, and was competed in the first championship bout against Rose Namajunas. Her rear naked choke victory earned her the belt and a Performance of the Night bonus. This was the California native’s catalyst to a highly successful, and still active, career. Her resume includes two UFC strawweight championship titles, she is tied with the most wins in division history (10), most takedowns landed in division history (44), the longest time between title reigns in UFC history (2,612 days) and the list goes on. The wrestler stands at #1 in the strawweight division and #7 on the pound-for-pound list.
