Published on October 5th, 2012 | by McKinley Noble
0MMA Rankings: October 2012 (Women’s Division)
MMA Rankings Update: October 2012
Women’s Division
Featherweight
1. Marloes Coenen [Invicta FC] (20-5)
2. Elaina Maxwell [RFA] (7-4)
3. Milana Dudieva [ProFC] (8-1)
4. Yana Kunitskaya [Batlic Arena] (8-1)
5. Julia Budd [Invicta FC] (3-2)
6. Lauren Taylor [Alaska Cage Fighting] (4-0)
7. Ediane Gomes [BlackEye Promotions] (8-2)
8. Germaine de Randamie [Strikeforce] (3-2)
9. Hiroko Yamanaka [Strikeforce] (12-2-0-1)
10. Romy Ruyssen [Invicta] (5-2)
Analysis: Without Ronda Rousey or Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos in the featherweight division, the dearth of talent is troubling, to say the least. Marloes Coenen is still far and away the best in the group, though. One thing to note is the difference between Milana Dedieva and Yana Kunitskaya. Even though both have similar “win-loss” tallies, Devieva’s wins over Sheila Gaff and Danielle West make her higher ranking a bit more credible.
Bantamweight
1. Ronda Rousey [Strikeforce] (6-0)
2. Miesha Tate [Strikeforce] (13-3)
3. Sarah Kaufman [Strikeforce] (15-2)
4. Alexis Davis [Invicta FC] (12-5)
5. Sara McMann [Invicta FC] (6-0)
6. Rin Nakai [Pancrase] (12-0-1)
7. Liz Carmouche [Invicta FC] (7-2)
8. Shayna Baszler [Invicta FC] (14-7)
9. Amanda Nunes [Invicta FC] (7-2)
10. Sarah D’Alelio [Invicta FC] (6-2)
Analysis: For women’s MMA, this is where the most interest is happening, thanks to Strikeforce and Invicta’s small, but valuable rosters. Rousey and McMann’s climb up the rankings at 135 pounds has been nothing short of amazing to watch. As time goes on, it’s harder and harder to justify having Rin Nakai so high up on the list. Her long undefeated streak is offset by her low-value opponents, the majority of them being unranked, overmatched Japanese fighters.
Flyweight
1. Tara LaRosa [RFA] (21-2)
2. Rosi Sexton [CageWarriors] (13-2)
3. Jessica Eye [NAAFS] (8-1)
4. Barb Honchak [Invicta FC] (6-2)
5. Sheila Gaff [CageWarriors] (10-4-1)
6. Aisling Daly [CageWarriors] (12-3)
7. Michelle Ould [Bellator] (7-4)
8. Takayo Hashi [JEWELS] (14-4)
9. Claudia Gadelha [Shooto] (8-0)
10. Heather Clark [XFC] (5-2)
Analysis: It hurts to not see Roxanne Modafferi in the “top 10″ of her division, but her five-fight losing streak is a rankings killer, even if you’re fighting the best possible opponents every single time. Invicta FC’s upcoming show will drastically shake things up here, especially since the card is hosting almost half of the women in the flyweight’s elite class.
Strawweight
1. Jessica Aguilar [Bellator] (14-4)
2. Ayaka Hamasaki [Invicta FC] (8-0)
3. Megumi Fujii [Bellator] (25-2)
4. Carla Esparza [Invicta FC] (7-2)
5. Seo Hee Ham [JEWELS] (9-5)
6. Katja Kankaanpaa [Botnia Punishment] (6-0-1)
7. Mei Yamaguchi [JEWELS] (10-4-1)
9. Felice Herrig [X-treme FC] (7-4)
9. Ashley Cummings [Invicta FC] (3-0)
10. Yuka Tsuji [DEEP] (24-3)
Analysis: More Invicta fighters are slowly starting to crowd out the old guard from Japanese MMA, although many of the division’s women are on a break. Interestingly, this relatively light weight class features a good mix of American, Asian, and European talent, with most of the fighters having decent records against the top fighters in their own division. Zoila Gurgel’s return at Bellator 78 will be a major impact on the division, although at press time, she still has no opponent.
Atomweight
1. Naho Sugiyama [JEWELS] (8-0)
2. Jessica Penne [Invicta FC] (9-1)
3. Misaki Takimoto [JEWELS] (15-13-4)
4. Kikuyo Ishikawa [Pancrase] (7-3)
5. Michelle Waterson [JMMAS] (9-3)
6. Lisa Ellis [UCS] (15-8)
7. Yasuko Tamada [JEWELS] (13-8-3)
8. Amy Davis [UCS] (3-3)
9. Naoko Omuro [JEWELS] (13-9-4)
10. Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (8-6-0)
Anaylsis: Invicta FC will legitimize an atomweight champion when Naho Sugiyama takes on Jessica Pene for the 105-pound title. Pene is the favorite to win, especially with most of Sugiyama’s opponents coming from the overvalued JEWELS promotion. Most fighters at 105 pounds have boosted their status against unranked opponents, but their real value is best expressed with taking on variety of opponents across several events.
[Fighter rankings are weighed by recent events and quality of opponents. If a fighter has not competed in a year or more, they are removed from the rankings until they're active. Fighters are ranked in the division they last competed in, except for special circumstances. Fight results are not rated differently depending on "closeness" or any subjective quantity—a win is a win, and a loss is a loss. Rankings compiled and edited by McKinley Noble.]
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