Who is the GOAT female MMA fighter? You may argue with your personal choice. But some common names must be peep in your mind.
It was not that long ago when the journey of female MMA fighting started. But now within the past two decades, it has gained so much popularity and some best women MMA fighters came forward out of them.
In this article, I’m going to share who are the 5 Best female MMA fighters of all time. So, let’s not waste time and check out your favorite female MMA fighter from the list.
Best Female MMA Fighter of All Time
Name | Nationality |
Amanda Nunes | Brazilian |
Cris Cyborg | American-Brazilian |
Ronda Rousey | American |
Joanna Jedrzejczyk | Polish |
Valentina Shevchenko | Kyrgyzstani |
1. Amanda Nunes
Nick Name | The Lioness |
Date of Birth | May 30, 1988 |
Height | 5’8″ |
Weight | 61.23 kg |
Year’s Active | 2008-present |
Wins/losses | 22/5 |
Net Worth | $4 million |
Personal Life
Amanda Nunes is a private person, but she is quite open about her personal life. Nunes is an openly lesbian athlete and is married to fellow UFC fighter Nina Ansaroff. The couple welcomed their daughter, Raegan Ann Nunes, in 2020.
Career Achievements & Titles
Amanda Nunes is the ultimate G.O. A.T. in women’s combat sports. She is the most dominant fighter in the UFC championship.
When Amanda was five years old, she began her martial arts training. But in 2008, she made her professional debut.
Events | Achievements | Year |
Pan- American Championship | Gold medal | 2008 |
World-Jiu-Jitsu Championship | Gold medal | 2009 |
In 2013, she made her UFC debut, and since then, she has become one of the leading champions in the promotion’s history.
One of Nunes’ most notable career achievements was becoming the first woman in UFC history to hold titles in two different weight classes simultaneously.
She won UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in 2016.
After that in 2018, she defeated Cris Cyborg to become the featherweight champion.
Nunes has also defeated other top fighters in the women’s divisions such as Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, and Valentina Shevchenko.
Nunes is known for her aggressive striking style and has a high finishing rate, with 14 of her 22 wins coming by way of knockout or technical knockout. She has also showcased her ground game and grappling skills in several fights.
Amanda Nunes MMA Record at a Glance
Total | 27 |
Wins | 22 |
By knockout | 13 |
By submission | 4 |
By decision | 5 |
Losses | 5 |
By knockout | 2 |
By submission | 2 |
By decision | 1 |
2. Cris Cyborg
Nick Name | Cyborg |
Date of Birth | July 9, 1985 |
Height | 5’8″ |
Weight | 65.7 kg |
Year’s active | 2005-present |
Wins / Losses | 26 / 2 |
Net worth | $28 million |
Personal Life
Cris Cyborg married her fellow mixed martial artist Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos and embraced his nickname. But the marriage didn’t work out and they get divorced in December 2011.
A couple of years later in 2017, she announced her engagement with a former professional mixed martial artist Ray Elbe. In 2018, Cyborg adopted her niece legally and turned into a mother.
Career Achievements & Titles
Cris Cyborg is widely known as one of the greatest women fighters. She made her debut in 2005.
She has a professional record of 24 wins (with 20 knockouts), three losses, and one no-contest.
Event | Achievements | Year |
ADCC World Championship | Bronze | 2009 |
World Jiu-Jitsu Championship | Gold | 2011, 2012 |
Cyborg has won multiple championships in various MMA organizations. She is a former UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion, a former Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Champion, and a former Invicta FC Featherweight Champion.
Cyborg has a long winning streak that spans over a decade. She won her first MMA fight in 2005 and went on a 13-year, 21-fight unbeaten streak from 2005 to 2018.
Cyborg has defeated some of the most notable female fighters in the sport, including Holly Holm, Tonya Evinger, Marloes Coenen, and Gina Carano.
Cyborg has won multiple awards and honors throughout her career, including the 2010 Female Fighter of the Year Award from the World MMA Awards and the 2018 Female Fighter of the Year Award from the UFC.
In addition to her success in MMA, Cyborg has also competed in Muay Thai and boxing. She has a professional Muay Thai record of 2-0 and a professional boxing record of 1-0.
Cyborg’s MMA Records At a Glance
Total | 29 |
Wins | 26 |
By knockout | 20 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 5 |
Losses | 2 |
By knockout | 1 |
By submission | 1 |
No contest | 1 |
3. Ronda Rousey
NickNames | Rowdy |
Date of Birth | February 1, 1987 |
Height | 5’7″ |
Weight | 6kgYa |
Year’s Active | 2011-2016 |
Wins / Losses | 12/2 |
Net worth | $14 million |
Personal Life
The former UFC champion and WWE superstar has become a household name for her unparalleled skills in the octagon and the wrestling ring. But while her professional life has been nothing short of exceptional, Rousey’s personal life has been a bit more private. She married her fellow MMA fighter, Travis Browne in 2017. The couple has a daughter together.
Career, Achievements & Titles
Ronda Rousey is a retired American mixed martial artist, judoka, and professional wrestler who is widely known as one of the greatest female athletes of all time. She was named one of the “Most Dominant Athletes Alive” by Business Insider 2015.
Events | Achievements | Year |
Beijing Olympic | Bronze Medal in Judo | 2008 |
UFC women’s Bantamweight | Champion | 2012 |
Rousey had an undefeated amateur MMA career of 3-0 before turning professional.
She won her first 12 professional fights in the first round, all by submission, including 9 by armbar.
She became the first-ever UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion in 202 and defended the title six times before losing to Holly Holm in 2015.
Rousey was the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in Judo, winning a bronze medal in 2008.
Beijing Olympics.
Ronda Rosey’s MMA Record at a Glance
Total | 14 |
Wins | 12 |
By knockout | 3 |
By submission | 9 |
Looses | 2 |
By knockout | 2 |
4. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Nickname | Joanna Champion / JJ |
Date of Birth | August 18, 1987 |
Height | 5’6″ |
Weight | 57k |
Year’s active | 2012-2022 |
Wins / Losses | 16/5 |
Net Worth | $4 million |
Personal Life
Despite her busy schedule, Joanna is known to be very close to her family and often shares pictures and posts about them on social media. She comes from a sporting family, with her father being a boxer and her mother a competitive volleyball player.
Joanna has confirmed that she is currently single. She broke up with former Polish football player Przemyslaw Buta.
Apart from fighting, Joanna Jedrzejczyk is a big fan of fashion and often attends fashion shows and events. She has also launched her own fashion line, which includes gym wear and streetwear.
In addition to fashion, Joanna is a passionate cook and often shares pictures of her cooking experiments on social media. She has mentioned in interviews that she finds cooking therapeutic and loves to experiment with new recipes.
Career, Achievements & Titles
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is a retired Polish mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the strawweight division. She is one of the greatest female fighters in MMA history with a record of 16 wins and with 32% finish rate.
Joanna debuted her career in 2012. She started her career as a winner defeating Sylwia Juśkiewicz who held up a 0-0-0 professional MMA record into the fight.
Events | Achievements | Year / Times |
UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship | Champion | 2015 |
IFMA World Championship | Gold Medal, Silver medal | 5, 1 |
Joanna won the UFC Strawweight Championship on March 14, 2015, at UFC 185. She defeated Carla Esparza via TKO in the second round to become the first Polish champion in UFC history. She successfully defended her title five times, becoming the most dominant champion in strawweight history.
In the IFMA World Championships Joanna has won five gold medals and one silver medal.
Her fight against Gadelha was named the Fight of the Year at the 2016 World MMA Awards.
Jedrzejczyk lost her UFC Strawweight Championship title to Rose Namajunas in November 2017, ending her reign as champion.
She was challenged for the title again in 2018 but was defeated by Namajunas in a rematch. She lost the fight by split decision, but both fighters earned Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses.
She announced her retirement from MMA in 2021 but remains involved in the sport as an analyst and commentator.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s Record At a Glance
Total | 21 |
Wins | 16 |
By knockout | 4 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 11 |
Losses | 5 |
By knockout | 2 |
By decision | 3 |
5. Valentina Shevchenko
Nick Name | Bullet |
Date of Birth | March 7, 1988 |
Height | 5’5″ |
Weight | 57 kg |
Year’s active | 2003-present |
Wins / Looses | 23/4 |
Net Worth | $5 million |
Personal life
Valentina Shevchenko was born in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. She grew up in a family of martial artists, with her mother and older sister both practicing taekwondo. Shevchenko began training in combat sports at a young age, and by the age of 12, she had already started competing in kickboxing tournaments.
In 1997, Shevchenko and her family moved to Peru, where they opened a martial arts school. Shevchenko continued to train and compete in kickboxing and Muay Thai, and in 2003, she won the Peruvian national championship in both sports.
Shevchenko doesn’t share much about her private life. But currently, she’s single.
Career, Achievements & Titles
Shevchenko’s MMA career began in 2003, and she quickly established herself as a dominant force in the sport. She fought primarily in regional promotions, racking up an impressive record of 12 wins and 2 losses before making her UFC debut in 2015.
Event | Achievements | Year |
UFC Women’s Flyweight | Champion | 2018 |
Since joining the UFC, Shevchenko has competed in both the bantamweight and flyweight divisions. She has amassed a record of 21 wins and 3 losses, with 10 of those wins coming by way of knockout. She has fought some of the best fighters in the world, including Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Holly Holm, and Amanda Nunes.
Shevchenko won the UFC women’s flyweight championship in December 2018 by defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk via unanimous decision. She has successfully defended her title five times since then, defeating the likes of Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, and Jennifer Maia.
Valentina Shevchenko’s MMA Records At a Glance
Total | 27 |
Wins | 23 |
By knockout | 8 |
By submission | 7 |
By decision | 8 |
Losses | 4 |
By knockout | 1 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 2 |
Final Thought
There are so many female fighters names coming into my mind when I was writing the blog. But I’ve tried to choose the 5 Best female MMA fighters of all time from them. All of them have a unique striking style and they all prove themselves in the big stages.
I hope you have got to know some interesting facts about your favorite MMA fighter from this article. Thanks for reading.
Related: 5 Hottest UFC Ring Girls