Counting down the 8 greatest female UFC Fighters
There was a time when Dana White couldn’t even entertain the idea of Women fighting in the UFC. The largest MMA organization in the world now has 3 different weight classes dedicated to the fairer sex and a payroll filled with the best female fighters from around the globe.
The women are featured prominently on every card and occasionally, even get the honors of headlining PPV offerings from the UFC. Don’t get me wrong when I say that the men still dominate in terms of financial returns as it’s a thoroughly factual claim.
Ronda Rousey’s fall from grace and subsequent departure did hurt the overall business from a women’s standpoint, but the UFC still has a bunch of female fighters who draw in respectable numbers and have a large fan base to boast about.
The women in the UFC, though, have made major strides in recent years and look set to continue on the solid foundation that has been built. This onus of the foundation’s firmness can be put on the shoulders of a handful of women, whose skill and accomplishments have brought in the necessary hype as well as the considerable moolah.
These women are the best the UFC has had to offer over the years, some of whom are still active as we speak. So let’s count them down, shall we?
#8 Holly Holm (12-4) (5-4 in the UFC)
Honors and Accomplishments
Former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion
Two Fight of Night Bonuses
Knockout and Upset of the Year 2015
Boxing Record (33-2)
15 Boxing Titles, 16 Title Defenses at three different weight classes
The Preacher's Daughter was already a legendary pugilist when she swapped the boxing ring for the Octagon, but, nobody expected the transition to be as smooth as it was.
Every MMA fanatic watched in awe as Holm head kicked the mystical Ronda Rousey to the ground, thus ending a seemingly infrangible reign and beginning a new chapter in the Women's Bantamweight division. The win, considered to be one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, put the former Boxing standout on the MMA map as the real deal.
Undefeated as the undisputed UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, Holm was on top of the world. However, she lost the title in her first defense itself to Miesha Tate and what followed was a painful career slump.
She went on to lose 4 of her next 6 fights after her monumental win against Rousey, out of which two were Featherweight title losses to Cris Cyborg and Germaine De Randamie.
Her recent history may force you to label Holm as a one-hit wonder, but Holm is a fighter of the highest caliber whose striking capabilities are second to none.