The Rankings: The Women’s Bantamweights: Dec 12, 2016

The Rankings are just that – The MMA Manifesto’s rankings of the best fighters in mixed martial arts today.  Check back every Monday and Friday for our rankings of a different weight class.  Next up: The Women’s Bantamweight Rankings. 

Voting Panel: Jeff Fox, Daniel Vreeland, Ricky Leone, and Ryan MacDonald.

*stipulations: 1) any fighter currently suspended or 2) inactive for at least 12 months (without an upcoming fight scheduled) are excluded from the rankings

(click on fighter’s name for detailed scouting report)

The Women’s Bantamweight Rankings

1) (Last ranking: 1) Amanda Nunes – UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion – 40 points – (out of a possible 40)

            Record: 13-4
            Last Five Fights: 4-1
            Record vs Top 10: 3-1 (W-Tate, W-Shevchenko, W-McMann, L-Zingano)
            Next Fight: vs #2 Ronda Rousey – UFC 207 – Dec 30th

The game of title belt hot potato in the UFC’s Women’s Bantamweight division continues.

2) (4) Ronda Rousey – UFC – 29 points
            Record: 12-1
            Last Five Fights: 4-1
            Record vs Top 10: 4-1 (L-Holm, W-Zingano, W-McMann, W-Tate, W-Tate)
            Next Fight: vs #1 Amanda Nunes – UFC 207 – Dec 30th

Will Rowdy have gold around her waist again before the calendar turns to 2017?

3) (3) Valentina Shevchenko – UFC – 32 points
            Record: 13-2
            Last Five Fights: 4-1
            Record vs Top 10: 1-1 (W-Holm, L-Nunes)
            Next Fight: vs #6 Juliana Pena – UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs Pena – Jan 28th

The Bullet has shot up the rankings after dispatching former champ Holm.

4) (7) Raquel Pennington – UFC – 28 points
            Record: 9-5
            Last Five Fights: 4-1
            Record vs Top 10: 2-3 (W-Tate, L-Holm, L-Zingano)
            Next Fight: TBA

Rocky is on the rise.

5) (5) Holly Holm – UFC – 22 points
            Record: 10-2
            Last Five Fights: 3-2
            Record vs Top 10: 2-2 (L-Shevchenko, L-Tate, W-Rousey, W-Pennington)
            Next Fight: TBA

Winless for 2016.

6) (6) Julianna Pena – UFC – 19 points         
            Record: 8-2
            Last Five Fights: 4-1
            Record vs Top 10: 1-0 (W-Zingano)
            Next Fight: vs #3 Valentina Shevchenko – UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs Pena – Jan 28th

Next win could get The Venezuelan Vizan a shot at gold.

7) (tied) (2) Miesha Tate – UFC – 14 points
                        Record: 18-7
                        Last Five Fights: 3-2
                        Record vs Top 10: 2-5 (L-Pennington, L-Nunes, W-Holm, W-McMann, L-Rousey, L-Zingano, L-Rousey)
                        Next Fight: TBA

Tate says she’s done in the octagon.  Only time will tell if that is a permanent decision.

 
7) (tied) (9) Sara McMann – UFC – 14 points
                        Record: 10-3
                        Last Five Fights: 3-2
                        Record vs Top 10: 1-3 (L-Nunes, L-Tate, L-Rousey, W-Evinger)
                        Next Fight: TBA

McMann is moving towards the top once again.

9) (8) Cat Zingano – UFC – 7 points

            Record: 9-2
            Last Five Fights: 3-2
            Record vs Top 10: 2-2 (L-Pena, L-Rousey, W-Nunes, W-Tate)
            Next Fight: TBA

The Cat hasn’t won a fight in two years.

10) (10) Tonya Evinger – Invcita FC Women’s Bantamweight Champion – 5 points 
                Record: 19-5, 1 NC
                Last Five Fights: 4-0, 1 NC
                Record vs Top 10: 0-1 (L-McMann)
                Next Fight: TBA

Evinger lost her strap controversially, only to get it back two weeks later when her appeal overturned the loss to a no contest.

Bubbling Under: Alexis Davis, Bethe Correia, Liz Carmouche 

Rankings: