UFC Female Fights: When Ronda Rousey made her debut in the UFC in 2012, the door was finally opened for women to compete on the biggest platform. Since then, the sport has seen the rise of several female champions and exceptional mixed martial artists.
It’s amazing to see how women’s UFC has grown. We’ve seen some incredible UFC female fights that will surely be remembered for a long time. There have also been some incredible knockouts. In light of that, we thought examining the top UFC female fights in history would be interesting.
The Top UFC Female Fights In History
Check out the top UFC female fights in history:
Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 248)
At T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk put on the greatest UFC female fights in women’s mixed martial arts history. The fight was so epic that the outcome of the UFC 248 co-main event was almost secondary; instead, Zhang retained her UFC strawweight title for the first time via a five-round split decision in a match that elevated the status of both women and the sport.
Zhang currently leads 21-1 after scoring 48-47 twice and 47-48 once. At 16-4, Jedrzejczyk loses.
The first minute of the battle saw both combatants occupied, but after Jedrzejczyk’s strong right hand upstairs and her close-range combinations, the former champion was grinning and leading. But halfway through the frame, Zhang started to settle into a rhythm and threw with strength each time, obviously drawing Jedrzejczyk’s attention.
Round two saw the two resume their high-volume hitting match. Jedrzejczyk was keeping things interesting, and in the second minute, they locked up against the fence, with Zhang throwing elbows and Jedrzejczyk retaliating with knees. Zhang gave Jedrzejczyk a right-hand shake with little over two minutes remaining, which caused the native Pole to reset. The action was moving quickly, and by the conclusion of the round, Zhang’s eye was starting to bulge.
In the third round, Zhang moved quickly to land several strong strokes before Jedrzejczyk regained his composure and started putting combinations on the board. Jedrzejczyk saw greater success once she changed to a southpaw stance. Zhang and Jedrzejczyk temporarily locked up with two minutes remaining. When they broke, Zhang stormed back, leaving a welt on the challenger’s head. However, Jedrzejczyk put up a tremendous fight to win the round, giving the judges still another difficult decision to make.
Round four saw more intense fighting as both fighters showed no signs of giving up and alternated between rocking each other. Even though Zhang was competing in the final rounds for the first time, she was still going all out, but Jedrzejczyk was by far the more experienced of the two. Zhang struck Jedrzejczyk hard in the forehead with two minutes remaining, but Jedrzejczyk continued to advance and hit an elbow before they locked horns. In the last thirty seconds, Jedrzejczyk looked at the time, but it didn’t stop her from turning up the heat.
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Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche (UFC 157)
The debut of Rousey on the greatest platform in the sport, marking the first women’s fight in UFC history, was a significant turning point in the organization’s evolution and a cultural phenomenon. But early on in the contest, it was unlikely that the undefeated winner would have a protracted reign at the top.
Carmouche stepped into the cage prepared to challenge Rousey to her limits, just as she did in Strikeforce battles against championship talent like Marloes Coenen and Sarah Kaufman. She was the first fighter to truly threaten the former Olympic medalist.
Fans were on the edge of their seats as Carmouche put pressure on Rousey’s neck early in the fight, putting her on the defensive. However, the champion managed to get away and eventually turned the tables, ending her first fight in the Octagon the same way she had ended her previous five: with an armbar submission victory within the first five minutes.
Cat Zingano vs. Miesha Tate (The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale)
The historical significance of the first women’s bantamweight battle will always be recognised, but the second fight will live on in history simply because it was so amazing. Even though these two ladies haven’t shared the cage in Las Vegas for a little over five years, their fight may still rank among the finest among women’s division fighters to ever take place inside the Octagon.
This one was tough and emotional from the start, with Tate entering as focused and game as ever, and Zingano sobbing on her way to the cage and then bracing herself for combat. The former Strikeforce fighter and potential UFC champion had the best of things in the first two rounds, winning two tight fights, but Zingano’s savagery and aggression won the third.
Tate, who shown her signature bravery by persevering and getting back up after an early takedown, had the opportunity to start using strikes. However, as she did so, Zingano landed a knee on her back and then many more as she recovered and attempted to rise, abruptly ending the fight spectacularly.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Claudia Gadelha I (UFC on FOX: Dos Santos vs. Miocic)
You know how it is when a filmmaker achieves enormous success and people look back at some of their early work, only to find that it was just as good before the public knew? I feel like that’s what this war is all about.
Hidden away as the evening’s last preliminary card match, Jedrzejczyk and Gadelha would go on to become two of the world’s best UFC female fights and rising stars in the UFC, but for the duration of the fight, they were unknown contenders who squared off in a gruellingly close match whose result is still up for debate.
Gadelha never took well to the contentious defeat, which served as the impetus for a fierce rivalry between the two that would peak eighteen months later. The bright side is that Jedrzejczyk bounced back from the split decision loss in the desert to bid for the strawweight title in her subsequent fight.
Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey (UFC 193)
Rousey came into this fight at the peak of her abilities and had broken through into the public after 12 straight wins, 6 straight successful championship defences, and 4 wins in a total of 2 minutes and 10 seconds. She had announced this battle on Good Morning America.
She stormed into the cage in Melbourne, Australia’s Etihad Stadium, expecting to add Holm to her list of defeated opponents, but the former multiple world champion boxer had other plans. This was in front of the greatest UFC audience in the history of the promotion.
As the dominating champion, Holm frustrated Rousey right away by deftly sidestepping and countering his aggressive assaults. Holm played the character of the matador flawlessly. It was soon clear that the top spot in the women’s bantamweight category was about to change, and less than a minute into the second frame, Holm startled everyone by dropping Rousey with a powerful high kick, ending her reign.
The night Rousey was dethroned from her throne and the ranks of the undefeated was equally momentous as her initial debut in the Octagon. For the record, like everyone else, I was watching in awe from home.
Miesha Tate vs. Holly Holm (UFC 196)
The fact that Conor McGregor and Nathan Diaz followed this pair into the cage and produced one of the incredible UFC female fights with an unexpected finish immediately after them has somewhat overshadowed this one, even though it stands as one of the most unexpected comebacks wins in UFC history and a title changed hands as a result.
Notwithstanding, Tate’s comeback victory over Holm serves as the ideal embodiment of her career, given that she won by sheer willpower and compassion. and a rather severe rear-naked choke as well.
Holm was ahead 3-1 on the scorecards going into the fifth round and had done a commendable job of holding the bout together. She was able to hold Tate at bay and win the striking exchanges in space. Tate dominated the fight on the canvas in the one round she was unable to, applying pressure with strikes and looking for a chokehold.
As the champion attempted to escape with two minutes remaining in the last session, Tate twisted Holm to the floor and adhered to her back like adhesive. Holm attempted to shake her off, but Tate held her in check by fisting her forearm beneath her neck. Falling to the ground, Tate tightened her hold on Holm, and with only ninety seconds left in the fight, Tate had pulled off one of the most unlikely comeback triumphs in UFC history.
Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko I (UFC 196)
Even though Tate and Holm’s fight has been somewhat overshadowed by the Diaz-McGregor match and the rivalry it sparked, Tate and Holm’s fight was a fantastic back-and-forth fight that was first underappreciated during UFC 196.
Nunes came in riding a two-fight winning run and with a fight-altering ability. Shevchenko made her official debut with a decision victory over former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman on short notice. Early on, Nunes jumped out to an early lead, taking control of the fight through grappling and applying pressure to the UFC rookie.
But Shevchenko came back in the third, taking the Brazilian out on the feet for the majority of the session after earning a takedown of her own early on. Although Nunes correctly won a tight decision, there was a perception in press row that Shevchenko had the upper hand and that the outcome would have been different if the fight had gone to five rounds.
That soon came to pass as Shevchenko became the top challenger and Nunes dominated the division. This set up a tight championship match at UFC 215 in Edmonton, where “The Lioness” prevailed via split decision.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Claudia Gadelha II (The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale)
While their first battle took place behind closed doors, their second match was fully seen by the MMA community and proved to be one of the greatest fights ever, starring the champs.
Gadelha started off quickly and forcefully, pressuring Jedrzejczyk and dominating the first ten minutes with powerful grappling, precise punching, and tremendous pressure. Following the challenger’s dominance in the first verse of the middle stanza, Jedrzejczyk skillfully navigated her way out of a tangle and confidently walked back to the cage’s centre, gesturing for her Brazilian opponent to meet her halfway.
It turned out to be a decisive moment in the fight, as Jedrzejczyk took total command of the bout after that, pulling away from Gadelha in the final moments to win by unanimous decision and take the lead 2-0 in the head-to-head match.
Jessica Andrade vs. Angela Hill (UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. Korean Zombie)
Marion Reneau vs. Sara McMann (UFC on FOX: Emmett vs. Stephens)
The battle that made up our list in 2018—the first of two bouts between Reneau and McMann—truly was a tale of two fights.
The former title contender and Olympic silver medallist dominated the first act. One minute into the opening round, McMann forced the fight to the ground and remained there for the duration, moving to a mounted crucifix and controlling the action for over three full minutes.
In the second, Reneau held the position until her stunned opponent attempted a takedown after she stung McMann with a crisp right hand. Even though McMann finally placed Reneau on her back, the 40-year-old fighter launched a triangle assault as soon as she saw McMann attempting to block a barrage of elbows. “The Belizean Bruiser” then locked in a chokehold and applied the tap to finish the comeback.
Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 223)
Several people questioned if Namajunas’ victory over Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 was the result of a perfect storm, wherein she performed at her very best while the champion entered the Octagon at less than 100%.
After a mere five months, Namajunas demonstrated her true potential by coming out firing in the opening round and then mounting a comeback in the last round to secure her first-ever successful championship defence.
It was a fantastic fight that proved Namajunas’ championship prowess and solidified her position as the division leader.
Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko II (UFC 215)
