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In most discussions about the evolution of MMA, lobbed back and forth are the perennial themes of styles, technique, physicality etc. Votes have rained in either ballots of striking and grappling, bros and geeks face-off when it comes to athleticism versus artistry and of course, let’s not forget the cold war between good ol’ wrestling and zhu-zheetsu.
But there’s one underexploited device that has moved at a glacial pace from the op-ed to the front page – star-power. Now, the consensus that a sport should be appreciated for its own sake, gets blurred when it comes to a spectacle like MMA.
To its disciples, fights are what solstices are to pagans - eagerly anticipated and unerringly observed celebrations.
The fact that MMA is still a young sport whose casual fans outnumber loyalists, stresses the need for a spiel. There is no better example of this than the UFC’s current trend of setting up big name fights in the hope of expeditiously turning the $4.2 billion from red to black.
Needless to say, there’s an obvious and sizable obstacle – not everyone has the bankable charisma of an Ali, a Sugar Ray Leonard or a De La Hoya. Eventually, impersonation bottoms out and not even someone as dictatorial as Dana White could make fighters sit through acting classes.
Fans can sniff out feigned showmanship in an instant and will reward the offender’s labours with the opposite of what he strived for.
However, there is an exception to the law. All the shenanigans of the McGregors and Bispings can be snuffed out by a girl who can kick ass and looks hot in a dress. Howling alpha males banging fists on tables at every punch and kick instantaneously transfigure into awkward, pimpled teenagers who discover a female gamer in an RPG.
In a sport whose demographic is lopsided towards men, women with equally impressive fighting skills and looks are intoxicating. That x-factor of beauty and brutality would indubitably broaden the female fan base as well; girls look up to other strong and beautiful girls who hold their own in a man’s world.
MMA is being increasingly inclusive of women fighters and a growing number of women athletes are making the sport a full-time career. Gina Carano, Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and others are a testament to what fighters of that ilk can do for not just the organisation, but the sport itself. So who are the next generation of women MMA Superstars?
#10 Alexandra Albu
Our first entrant is from the model factory that is Russia. At 5’2”, the Strawweight might not be as leggy as many of her compatriots, but she can kick some ass. Alexandra is a black belt in Karate and it would be no surprise if the need arose for her lethal skills during her days as a bouncer.
Alexandra was snapped up by the UFC after winning her first five fights and submitted Izabela Badurek in her big stage debut. But “Stitch” has been invisible since then and it’s because she’s preparing her graduation thesis - she’s a student at the Academy of Intellectual Property in Russia.
Now that’s smart, considering the age of constant technological one-upmanship we live in.
Between the cracks of her 9-5 as a fitness instructor and MMA training, the Russian beauty has been whittling away at her thesis like a woodpecker. We will be counting the minutes till we hear Bruce Buffer bellow her name from the Octagon.
#9 Bruna Vargas
When it comes to the emergent women’s Flyweight division, the UFC’s loss might just be Bellator’s gain. That aside, as long as Bruna Vargas’ fighting, everyone’s a winner. The lovely Latina believes that 125-pounders will fight for a belt soon enough.
If her belief is prophetic, the wait will be more than worth it for the Team Nogueira prospect. Two years passed between her penultimate bout and her Bellator debut, which was a bittersweet moment because the drought before making it to the big leagues boiled down to a submission loss.
But a quick appraisal of the Brazilian will tell you that all those years of juggling a buttress job, college and MMA training have ingrained the kind of perseverance that propels one to great heights.
#8 Rachel Ostovich
Rachel Ostovich’s calling card is the Wonder Woman-inspired attires she sports at weigh-ins and in the cage. But she shares more than just a sartorial similarity with the Amazonian warrior princess. Just like Diana, she’s from an island, Hawaii, and more pertinently, SHE HITS HARD!!!
Back home, Ostovich is MMA royalty – her father, Bob, is a pioneer of the sport on the island and the founder of her team, “Jesus is Lord MMA Systems”. The highlight of Bob Ostovich’s career is his heel hook win over Jason Von Flue.
Her younger brother Robbie is an up-and-coming Lightweight who won his first three fights. Despite the strong wrestling and judo foundation, Rachel Ostovich doesn’t blink when faced with a gritty brawl. A combatant in Invicta FC’s flyweight division, she could very well be a valuable addition to the fledgeling UFC counterpart.
#7 Andrea Lee
28-year-old Andrea Lee’s face depicts a winsome Texas girl, but in the cage, she channels her nickname, “KGB”. Ruthless like the ertswhile Soviet secret police, Lee’s proven Muay Thai and Kyokushin is like a barreling tornado of blades.
But the many accolades in striking doesn’t mean she’s at all one-dimensional – there are shades of GSP and Ronda Rousey in her hard-to-fault game. Just watch this video of her demolishing Heather Bassett en-route to winning the LFA women’s flyweight belt:
#6 Alexa Grasso
If Alexa Grasso was a part of a coming-of-age sitcom, she’d be the girl next door who grew up to be a stunner. And she has those hearth-warm values as well – she celebrated her win that caught Dana White’s eye by taking her family to lunch and submitting a college paper before the deadline.
But behind those porcelain eyes, computing ceaselessly is the mind of a perfectionist assassin. Grasso finished her first three fights with strikes and stayed unbeaten for the next six. Her sophomore UFC tilt would be her first loss, her gingerliness costing her against the Octagon-versed Felice Herrig.
However, in Grasso’s case, history is as good an indicator as any and we wager that she’ll arrive in full force when the bell sounds next.
#5 Rose Namajunas
Most guys would confess to having soft spots (and the occasional hard one) for Rose Namajunas. Give her a fedora and a banjo and voila! – you have an indie album cover.
One of the many high-end imports from Invicta FC, Namajunas has been known to use her striking to dog her opponents to her lair, the ground. She submitted all three of her opponents en-route to the title finale of The Ultimate Fighter season 20.
A 2013 WMMA Submission of the Year awardee, “Thug” has extolled her mother for buoying her from the malignancies of her childhood. It would seem as if Namajunas was destined to be a combat athlete – her grandfather was a Lithuanian national wrestling champion and her beau is former UFC heavyweight skull crusher Pat Barry.
On the hunt for gold, Namajunas’ next fight might well prove to be the pole that vaults her into contention. Which brings us to....
#4 Michelle Waterson
Michelle Waterson has all the ingredients to be an MMA Superstar – fight skills, looks, effervescence and one of the coolest nicknames in the sport. The Thai-American “Karate Hottie” gave up a promising career in modelling because it wasn’t as rewarding as sweating buckets while being punched in the face.
The Karate black belt is a former Invicta 105-lbs champion and her next fight against Rose Namajunas will most likely be a title eliminator and the victor will get the winner of Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Jessica Andrade.
Outside the cage, Waterson is a doting mother to 6-year-old Araya, who we’ve seen sharing the mat at open workouts. Her impersonations of her mum are espresso shots of hilarity. And before we forget, she also appeared in the video for Megadeth’s “Head Crusher”.
#3 Anastasia Yankova
Another white-hot Russian with a perfect MMA record, Yankova is a submission specialist who was pushed to the brink by Veta Arteaga at Bellator 161 but survived the dogfight to come out on the right side of a split decision.
Her fans and social media followers were aghast when she posted this pic following the fight. When asked why, she said that if she posted selfies when she looked most pleasing, there was no reason not to do so when she looked like she did. In your face. Love it.
#2 Bruna Ellen
MMA was a natural progression for this 20-year-old Brazilian, having competed in boxing and kung fu since she was 12. Signed by Bellator to their budding women’s Flyweight division with just two fights behind her, Ellen is acutely aware that her cage savvy needs to evolve and has stated so in interviews.
Bruna regrouped after losing her Bellator debut to win a UD against Carmela James at Bellator 171. There’s no word on the date of her next bout, but until then, we’re sure her Instagram will keep most fans sated.
#1 Mackenzie Dern
After conquering women’s BJJ, Mackenzie Dern set her crosshairs on MMA. There’s nothing tepid about her aspirations – she wants to be a UFC Champion. The daughter of BJJ legend Wellington “Megaton” Dias, Dern started grappling at age 3 and now, at just 23, is already drawing comparisons to Ronda Rousey.
The lady in question seems to disagree, though – she believes she’d easily submit Ronda. Dern makes no attempt to camouflage her attempts to drag her opponent to the mat. She trains striking so isn’t caught off guard, but just like Demian Maia, she doesn’t conceal her strategy to submit her foe.
If the fact that she submitted the 6’2”, 210 lbs Gabi Garcia isn’t enough, this video of her winning by a double-barrelled omoplata-rear naked choke should leave no doubt about her lethal submission skills. The biggest obstacle for Dern is making 115 lbs.
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