The 6 Best Women’s MMA Fighters Of All Time

Whilst MMA hasn’t been around for that long, it’s fair to say that women’s MMA is even newer. Like many sports, women have often been under-represented and MMA is no different. The good news for women though, is that women’s MMA is now healthier than ever and has a very competitive scene.

With this will always come the debate as to who is the best fighter. Most commonly, this debate centers around men but it’s also true that women’s MMA has some incredible talent. In this article, we shall look at the best female MMA fighters of all time. Before continuing, we should add that this list is not in any kind of order and is purely opinion.

On this list, we’ve based the rankings on championship titles, win streaks, retirement records, and dominance within the cage. Remember, just because a fighter is entertaining, it doesn’t mean they’re particularly good.

Ronda Rousey – 12-2

Arguably, Ronda Rousey was the first breakthrough star of women’s MMA. Such was her reign of dominance, that UFC commentator Joe Rogan once even compared her to Muhammad Ali. Here, she went an impressive 12-0 and became the women’s bantamweight champion in the process.

Her strategy behind this was to employ her elite-level Olympic Judo which she had trained since childhood. As a result, it wasn’t uncommon to see her use big Judo throws on her opponents which would result in a submission. She famously hit an armbar on Cat Zingano and almost broke Miesha Tate’s arm by using this strategy.

Sadly, Rousey’s legacy was tainted towards the end of her career. She got knocked out by a brutal head kick from Holly Holm, followed by another loss at the hands of Amanda Nunes. Aged 31 she retired from MMA and joined the WWE. Some claimed that she had run from defeat – but regardless, she still left a massive legacy and also re-invented Judos role in MMA in the process.

Cris Cyborg – 24-2

When it comes to women’s MMA, you can’t go without mentioning Cris Cyborg either. For starters, the nickname is a big giveaway. With an impressive 24-2 record across multiple promotions, Cyborg beat the likes of Holly Holm and Leslie Smith to prove her dominance. A featherweight champion, Cyborg often used her brutal Muay Thai to strike her opponents into defeat.

Still fighting well into her late 30s, Cyborg showed no signs of slowing down either and proved that age was just a number. Often, fighters will retire earlier on to preserve their legacy, but Cyborg was the opposite. Interestingly, one of her two losses was in her first-ever professional bout where she got hit with a knee bar in under two minutes. Obviously, it didn’t affect her confidence.

Amanda Nunes 21-5

Arguably, Amanda Nunes was like a boogeyman of women’s MMA at her peak and had beat the best of them, including knocking out Cris Cyborg and beating Valentina Shevchenko twice. This resulted in Nunes becoming the first double belt holder in women’s MMA whilst picking off her opponents in the UFC.

Some have argued that her success was often down to her size and physique – and honestly, they may be right. Even though Nunes weighed in the same as her opponents, she often looked physically bigger and stronger. Of course, she was also technical but this is not what you want to see when standing opposite your opponent inside of a cage.

Valentina Shevchenko – 23-3

An ex-UFC champion, Valentina Shevchenko is a black belt in multiple martial arts but is best known for her kickboxing and Muay Thai skills. This would often result in picking off her opponents and kicking them to victory. Wins include the likes of Holly Holm and Jessica Eye.

Sadly for Shevchenko, two of her losses came against Amanda Nunes. Whilst this is nothing to get upset about, it still shows the dominance that Nunes had over some of female MMA’s finest. Still, aside from Nunes – Shevchenko looked unbeatable at times. This isn’t too surprising when you read up on her upbringing where she was born and raised in a strong martial arts background. Arguably, Shevchenko is one of the most rounded MMA fighters ever.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk 16-5

These days, MMA fans may judge Joanna Jedrzejczyk too harshly as compared to others on this list, her record isn’t the best. In some of her later fights, she lost twice to Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili. These were title matches which still proves that she was facing tough opponents, but adding four losses to her record won’t help her legacy.

During her peak though, Jedrzejczyk was definitely an elite fighter. At one point she went 14-0 after beating the likes of Juliana Lima and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Interestingly, she was also one of the first women to bring intense mind games and trash talk to MMA, often giving her a psychological advantage.

Her MMA career also spanned more than a decade after starting in 2012. Before this, she had a solid career as a Muay Thai champion where she even fought Valentina Shevchenko on a number of occasions. Despite the tough end to her career, Jedrzejczyk will always remain one of women’s greatest MMA fighters ever.

Kayla Harrison 9-0

Whilst Kayla Harrison’s MMA career is still alive and kicking, it’s fair to add her to this list. Like Rousey, she is an Olympic Judoka with a strong grappling background and like Rousey, she has enjoyed a long, undefeated stretch during the earlier days of her career. Unlike others on this list, Harrison hasn’t yet fought in the UFC but remains the PFL champion.

Either, Harrison will go to the UFC and continue her reign, or she will go and lose. Alternatively, she could stay in the PFL where the money is good. Regardless, the ease of her wins says it all and for the time being at least, she is doing the right moves in enhancing her reputation as a top female fighter. As of the time of writing, she also remains the only undefeated fighter on this list.