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It's been unbelievable, watching women compete in the UFC for almost a decade now. Dana White himself has come a long way since 2011 when he stated “Women will never fight in the UFC” in a quick interview with TMZ.
Ronda Rousey breaking out as one of the first crossover stars in the UFC helped Dana in changing his position towards women fighting inside the octagon. We as fans would have missed out on the greatness of current champions like Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko without the trailblazing by Ronda who paved the way.
The standard of women’s mixed martial arts has increased exponentially since then, with fighters getting better by the day. We count today at five of the best women’s title fight in the history of the UFC which were ultra-competitive and showcased the grittiness of the women’s on display:-
5) Rose Namajunas vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk 2 (UFC 223)
The first bout between these two had ended with a knockout in the first round, a surprising result for Rose which defied expectations. Joanna thought Rose had got lucky the first time round and set out to take her revenge and the strawweight title back at UFC 223.
Despite out striking the champion by over 50 strikes in a fight that showcased the technical prowess of both fighters on the feet, Joanna would find herself on the wrong side of a decision. A fight that played out mostly on the feet, Namajunas came on strong in the first two rounds before fading a bit in the third and the fourth.
Thug Rose would land a takedown with just 25 seconds left in the fifth round, which served as the difference-maker for the judges as they gave Namajunas a unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46- 49-46) in her first title defense.
4) Holly Holm vs Miesha Tate (UFC 196)
Miesha Tate had always been the no. 2 women’s fighter in the UFC behind eternal rival Ronda Rousey.
She had been the first fighter to make it out of the first round against Rousey but found herself on the end of a nasty armbar in their first meeting in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Holm finishing Ronda was one of the greatest upsets ever in the UFC and she was the favorite coming into this fight.
Holm was in command for most of the fight, using angles and footwork to maintain distance while Tate dominated proceedings when it came to grappling.
As the fifth round started, Tate was behind on the scorecards and she knew it.
In one of the best comebacks ever in a UFC fight, Miesha Tate produced a late burst of energy as she sunk in a rear-naked choke to win the title with just 90 seconds remaining in the contest.
3) Amanda Nunes vs Valentina Shevchenko 2(UFC 215)
The first fight between the two best women in the UFC was a three-round match that went the way of the Brazilian.
By the second time they met, Nunes had dethroned Miesha Tate while finishing Ronda Rousey emphatically to build up her resume as one of the best. Shevchenko, who had presented problems for the champ first time round, was someone who would test the cardio of Nunes, which was considered as a weakness in her armor.
Nunes started the fight uncharacteristically slowly, preserving her gas as she fought with a lack of her trademark aggression to remain in the battle till the end. Valentina increased her output as the fight progressed and landed more strikes (104-84) than Nunes.
Nunes in return landed three takedowns, two of which came in the last round, as she took home a super close split decision 47-48, 48-47 and 48-47 to defend her title successfully for the second time.
2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Claudia Gadelha 2(Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale)
Jedrzejczyk makes it onto the list for the second time for her classic against Claudia Gadelha in their second encounter at the TUF 23 Finale.
These two did not like each other, especially after a close split decision in their first meeting and it showed when they met inside the octagon. Claudia won the first two rounds as she pressed the action with some sharp boxing and strong grappling.
While the third round was competitive, Joanna gained more confidence and took over, winning the last two rounds as well en route to a unanimous decision (48-46, 48-46 and 48-45).
1) Weili Zhang vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 248)
Instantly named as the greatest women’s title fight in UFC history, this fight solidified Zhang as a true champion while also raising her stock.
Joanna would lose for the fourth time in her last six fights in the UFC but turned in a valiant performance, which saw her fight through even with a grievous case of a hematoma. Even though fans may not like Joanna’s personality sometimes, she sure can lay on a showcase of a fight considering she is on this list for the third time.
With judges scorecard of 48-47, 48-47 and 47-48, Zhang took home a unanimous decision in her favor in a match where her power was on exhibit. Zhang got a little tired by the end of the fifth, but she still went after Joanna with bombs while also mixing things with a takedown.
One of the best back-and-forth matches in the UFC, this could have gone either way considering Joanna landed more strikes than the champ.
