Female fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) are playing a huge part in the evolution of the sport. Ronda Rousey was the first female icon but now the torch is being passed to the entire female roster in all promotions.
The naysayers who claim that women fail to fight with a high level of quality are being proven wrong every fight card. Cris Cyborg, Amanda Nunes, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Valentina Shevchenko and Holy Holm are just a few of the women who showcase just as much, if not more than any other fighter in MMA, including the men.
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With that being said, the younger prospects are picking up steam as well, check out our top 5 interesting female prospects of early 2017.
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#5 Alexa Grasso (9-1)
Grasso is a prospect training out of the Lobo Gym who is currently signed with UFC. She is another young exciting fighter in the strawweight division that is really gaining momentum in the sport.
Grasso’s boxing style can attract many fans, even though she doesn’t have many KO stoppages in her short career. Grasso made her debut at UFC 98 in Mexico City. Grasso was dominant in the bout against Heather Jo Clark, cutting her early, which made that fight a bloodbath.
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One of her strengths is attacking from awkward angles, a skill that keeps her opponents constantly off-balance.
Grasso suffered the first loss of her career to Felice Herrig in a controversial decision. Even in her loss, she managed to create a buzz in the UFC world because the fight was so entertaining.
She definitely has room to grow as a fighter and her potential is through the roof.
#4 DeAnna Bennett (8-2)
DeAnna Bennett is a 32-year-old prospect training with the Four7 Fight Team. She happens to be one of the up and coming fighters in the rapidly growing Women’s strawweight division. Bennett is a versatile fighter, decorated in three different martial arts: Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Wrestling.
She has the ability to win her fights in any way, shape or form. Bennett’s biggest challenge so far has been her inability to cut weight, which many believe is keeping the UFC from signing her.
Her professional career started off flawless, with her winning her first 8 bouts. She has had her struggles as of late, however, with her losing her last two fights. Normally when a fighter is defeated twice in a row in MMA, they tend to fade away and sometimes even quit fighting altogether.
Bennett, however, has shown an amazing sense of perseverance throughout her career, even with all the success she had early on as a pro. If there’s any female fighter to turn her situation around in 2017, it will be Bennett.
#3 Mackenzie Dern (2-0)
Mackenzie Dern is a 23-year old prospect from the United States. Dern’s family history helps with the understanding of her fighting style, as her father and stepmother are both black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).
Dern fights in the Strawweight division, and by many experts, is considered one of the best young up-and-coming grapplers.
In Dern’s debut, she impressed many eyes as she beat a more experienced fighter in Kenia Rosas. Although Dern has only fought in two bouts, she has attracted some serious attention from the MMA world.
In her bout against Rosas, Dern showcased her high-level BJJ skills. Dern’s ability to take her opponent down to the floor also separates her from others. She is extremely dangerous on the ground and if you’re careless with your positioning, she can catch you in a submission quick.
In 2017, Dern will need to produce exciting finishes by submission or knockout. She has a big upside in her BJJ skills but her striking ability is still a question that needs to be answered.
As Dern gains experience, she may evolve her game and make some noise in the UFC one day.
#2 Angela Lee (6-0)
Angela “Unstoppable” Lee is a Canadian-American mixed martial artist. Lee began training at a very young age as both of her parents were mixed martial artists as well. At the age of 6, Lee began competing and perfecting her craft in Mixed Martial Arts.
Lee’s body of work speaks volumes as she is building an audience in MMA for herself. Lee is a submission specialist, having finished 5 of her 6 professional fights by submission. Lee shows a lot of promise and has great potential to enhance her skills to become one of the top female competitors in the world.
MMA fans and experts raise questions about Lee’s abilities and on whether she can evolve with the sport. Based off of the glaring reality check that superstar Ronda Rousey has experienced, one trick ponies in MMA don’t pan out too well.
The interesting thing about Lee, however, is that she is an Atomweight fighter and has earned a 6 figure contract with just ONE Championship. She is said to be more guaranteed money than the likes of legendary Women’s fighter Cris Cyborg and even the UFC Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
#1 Sinead Kavanaugh (4-0)
The Straight Blast Gym (SBG) Ireland prospect has attracted a boatload of attention because of her exciting fighting style and the fact that she’s training out of the same gym as the UFC’s current two-division champion Conor McGregor.
Ireland seems to be itching for a female to dominate the fight game similar to McGregor, but have yet to find a female to attract the global attention needed to accomplish this feat. Sinead Kavanaugh may be on that level at this point, however, as her momentum and popularity are starting to grow amongst MMA fans.
Kavanaugh is a talented striker with deadly knockout power and ferocious clinch work. Her nickname is KO, a name which she’s lived up to, she was nominated for the 2015 BAMMA KO of the year award as she finished her opponent inside 20 seconds.
2017 will be an important year for her. She has the potential to become something special, so her next 2-3 fights will be the key to her brand as a fighter going forward. The move to Bellator will definitely aid her as it pertains to making a name for herself in the United States.
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