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In a sport largely dominated by men, female MMA fighting is finally getting the respect and recognition that it deserves. All thanks to the promoters and of course, the fighters themselves, who put up a terrific show that is gathering more and more fans each. Names like Ronda Rousey and Meisha Tate are becoming house-hold when discussing MMA. These women show the world that a girl can fight; a fight worth viewing. So for those of you who still need to catch up on the beautiful and tough world of female mixed martial arts, take a look at the top 5 in the business currently:
#5 Meisha Tate
Record: 14-5
Former Strikeforce champ Miesha Tate has scratched her way to becoming one of the most dangerous women in MMA today.
The Team Alpha Male product has solid wrestling and an evolving submission game, recently catching Julie Kedzie with an arm-bar during their Strikeforce bout last year. In addition to Kedzie, Tate has also tapped out highly touted former world champs such as Marloes Coenen and Zoila Gurgel.
#4 Sarah Kaufman
Record: 17-2
If it wasn't for a pair of arm-bar losses, former Strikeforce champ Sarah Kaufman could have very well become the queen of women's MMA.
Kaufman originally lost her Strikeforce crown via arm-bar to Marloes Coenen in 2010, tapping out in the third round. In her second bid for a title, the tap would come much quicker as champ Ronda Rousey submitted her in just 54 seconds during their title fight last year.
Despite the two blemishes, Kaufman has been virtually unstoppable in her MMA career, owning wins over the likes of Miesha Tate, Liz Carmouche and Alexis Davis
#3 Cristiane Justino
Record 12-1
Cristiane 'Cyborg' Justino is considered by many to be the top pound-for-pound female fighter in mixed martial arts. She has victories over notable opponents such as Marloes Coenen, Shayna Baszler and Gina Carano. Her win over Carano cemented her place in women's mixed martial arts as she became the Strikeforce women's middleweight champion.
Justino is currently the #2-ranked pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world by MMARising.com and the #1-ranked 145-pound female fighter according to the Unified Women's MMA Rankings.
#2 Cat Zingano
Record 8-0
Cathilee Deborah Zingano is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. On April 13, 2013, she became the first woman to win a UFC fight by technical knockout.
Zingano is currently the #5-ranked pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world by MMARising.com and the #3-ranked 135-pound female fighter according to the Unified Women's MMA Rankings. As of January 17, 2014, she is #1 in the official UFC women's bantamweight rankings.
#1 Ronda Rousey
Record: 10-0
Women's bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey made history by becoming the first female title holder ever in the UFC, and she once again submitted her opponent with a first-round arm-bar.
Now riding high as the face of not only women's MMA, but possibly the entire sport as a whole (possibly, due to her work in other fields like acting), Rousey's star will only rise if she can continue to take women's arms inside the Octagon. Set to face the winner of Tate vs. Zingano, Rousey is raring to show everybody that taking on the champion is not a piece a cake.
