'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The UFC women's divisions didn't have the most awe-inspiring 2024. That, however, doesn't mean that there weren't memorable moments or notable achievements. Championship reigns continued and titles changed hands. In other cases, new title contenders emerged.
While Julianna Peña dethroned Raquel Pennington to recapture women's bantamweight gold, it was a widely unpopular decision, with many regarding the split-decision as a robbery. For that reason, her campaign this year wasn't worthy-enough of top-five praise.
Similarly, Natália Silva's win streak, although lengthy, is currently defined by beating an over-the-hill Jéssica Andrade. So if not them, then who were 2024's most notable female fighters?
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
#5. Manon Fiorot, UFC women's flyweight
Despite her astonishing 12-fight win streak, France's Manon Fiorot has slipped under the notice of MMA fans. Her style isn't particularly fan friendly and she has failed to find a finish in her last five fights. But what she lacks in flash, she makes up for in effectiveness.
Trending
Fiorot is unbeaten in the UFC, and recently distinguished herself as the next women's title challenger, doing so by becoming only the second woman to beat the then rising prospect Erin Blanchfield, who many regarded as a future champion. Given that Blanchfield has beaten two former champions, it's no small feat.
Now, Fiorot will look to become France's first-ever undisputed titleholder when she challenges Valentina Shevchenko, and it is all thanks to her 2024 performance against Blanchfield.
#4. Norma Dumont, UFC women's bantamweight
This year, Norma Dumont did her best work as a fighter, climbing to rank #4 in the women's bantamweight division. She is currently on a five-fight win streak, with two victories coming against her most high-profile opponents to date. First, she faced former women's featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie.
Check out Norma Dumont getting her hand raised:
Dumont outworked her en route to a unanimous decision, sending 'The Iron Lady' into retirement. Thereafter, she took on a former women's bantamweight title challenger in Irene Aldana, beating her over three rounds. Both wins were Dumont's best-ever performances in terms of her opposition level.
Now, she seems just a hair's breadth away from a title shot, especially in the rail-thin division that is women's bantamweight.
#3. Kayla Harrison, UFC women's bantamweight
Two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka and former two-time PFL women's lightweight champion Kayla Harrison is a big investment for the UFC. Fortunately, she hasn't disappointed her new promotion, debuting at UFC 300 against ex-women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm.
Holm's legacy in the sport is intact, and she is widely known for dethroning the great Ronda Rousey in emphatic fashion by neutralizing her judo and knocking her out. Many wondered if she'd neutralize Harrison's less aggressive judo, but that never came to pass, as Harrison ran through her with supreme ease.
Within two rounds, she submitted Holm with a rear-naked choke, before taking on Ketlen Vieira in Oct. This time, a finish eluded the Olympian, but she showcased her toughness and grit to score a unanimous decision win and almost guarantee herself a title shot.
#2. Valentina Shevchenko, UFC women's flyweight champion
Valentina Shevchenko had a notable chip on her shoulder ever since losing the women's flyweight title to Alexa Grasso. Their first fight ended in a submission win for the Mexican, which Shevchenko attributed to a simple mistake on her part, diminishing Grasso's threat as a rival.
Their second bout was far more competitive, so much so that 'Bullet' won in the eyes of many. Unfortunately, the judges disagreed, scoring the fight as a draw, much to Shevchenko's chagrin. Finally, at UFC 306, she exacted her revenge and brought order to the division's title scene.
She dominated Grasso, outstriking her and completely outwrestling her, with Grasso having no answer for her foe's takedowns. The win returned her to the 125-pound throne, and with a healthy dose of vengeance at that, when others were dismissing her as old and over-the-hill.
#1. Zhang Weili, UFC women's strawweight champion
For some reason, Zhang Weili has been relatively scarce in 2024. She fought just once, but had the privilege of being one of the most high-profile fights on the UFC 300 card, where she defended her strawweight title against fellow countrywoman Yan Xiaonan in the promotion's first-ever Chinese vs. Chinese title fight.
The matchup began with domination from Zhang, who actually finished Yan in round one, choking her unconscious right at the buzzer. However, the round had ended before the referee had noticed, and Yan was quickly reawakened by her corner. Thereafter, the fight grew more competitive.
Nevertheless, Zhang remained fairly dominant, ultimately outworking her countrywoman via unanimous decision to defend her title for the second time in a thrilling action fight.
