Published on October 5th, 2012 | by McKinley Noble
0MMA Pound-For-Pound Rankings: October 2012 (Women’s Division)
MMA Pound-For-Pound Rankings
October 2012
Women’s Division
1. Ronda Rousey [Strikeforce] (6-0)
2. Zoila Gurgel [Bellator] (11-1)
3. Jessica Aguilar [Bellator] (14-4)
4. Miesha Tate [Strikeforce] (13-3)
5. Sarah Kaufmann [Strikeforce] (15-2)
6. Tara LaRosa [RFA] (21-2)
7. Ayaka Hamasaki [Invicta FC] (8-0)
8. Marloes Coenen [Invicta FC] (20-5)
9. Megumi Fujii [Bellator] (25-2)
10. Alexis Davis [Invicta FC] (12-5)
Fringe Contenders: Sara McMann [Invicta FC], Rin Nakai [Pancrase], Liz Carmouche [Invicta FC], Rosi Sexton [CageWarriors], Jessica Eye [NAAFS], Naho Sugiyama [JEWELS], Jessica Penne [Invicta FC]
It goes without saying, but the Kansas City-based Invicta FC has been the best thing to happen to women’s MMA since Strikeforce. Between those two promotions alone, the pound-for-pound picture in each weight class has suddenly become much more defined. Now, it’s a lot easier to gage value across the spectrum with the world’s top talent consistently facing credible competition.
For this month, the atomweight division will be getting a potential pound-for-pound entrant in the Invicta FC title fight between Naho Sugiyama and Jessica Penne. Either winner can climb into the tail end of this elite list, and by the end of the year, these rankings will look completely different.
Hopefully, Strikeforce sets up an opponent for Ronda Rousey, who has amazingly dispatched all of her opponents in the first round of her fights via armbar. That kind of dominance is extremely rare in any MMA division, to say the least. Sara McMann could launch herself into the bantamweight title picture with a dominant win over fellow fringe contender Liz Carmouche. Make no mistake, that’s definitely the biggest potential fight in the women’s division, especially with Cristiane “Cyborg” out of the picture.
[Fighters are evaluated by recent events and quality of opponents. Due to the nature of pound-for-pound rankings, eligible (active/winning) fighters are not removed from the list except under extreme injury conditions or retirement. Rankings compiled and edited by McKinley Noble.]