Top 15 Female Fighters of 2013
Top Woman's MMA Fighters For 2013
Woman's mixed martial arts certainly have developed over the past few years. It is clear that women can take center stage and put on exciting fights that thrill fans. A lot of things happened in 2012 that should make 2013 a pivotal year for women in mma.
One of the biggest announcements of the year came from Dana White when he announced that the first ever UFC bantamweight champion would be Ronda Rousey. Not only that, but Rousey would defend her belt against the always game Liz Carmouche. Even more, the championship fight would be the headliner for UFC 157. Also on this card is a Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida fight, so it is clear that Dana White has confidence that fighters like Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche can sell in terms of pay per view buys.
This move shows that the landscape for women's mma is changing, and women will be able to make bigger paychecks when they transition to the UFC. They also will be able to share the stage with their male counterparts, which will be interesting to see how long they can remain in the spotlight. With all of this news and promotions like Invicta FC and Bellator, there are some fighters that fans should look for in the year 2013. These fighters have the chance to build their career and also make history. Also, fighters featured in this slideshow have some amazing skillsets that make them a true treat to watch inside the cage.
15. Jessica Penne
Jessica Penne is a fighter that has showed promise throughout the years. She has beaten some exceptional fighters and is currently 10-1. Her lone loss was to Zoila Gurgel back at Bellator 25. Since then, she has gone 3-0, and is finding her stride as a mixed martial artist. Penne has recently been fighting for the Invicta FC promotion and has shown to be one of the most dynamic submission artists under their banner.
14. Jessica Eye
Jessica Eye has been on a roll as of late in her career. She is currently 9-1 and has even earned an impressive submission victory over Zoila Gurgel at Bellator 83. 2013 is shaping up to be a big year for her as she is currently on a six fight winning streak. She is a well-rounded fighter that has a relentless pace, making her fun to watch no matter who she squares off with.
13. Tara LaRosa
One of the more experienced fighters in women's mma is Tara LaRosa. Tara has competed for numerous promotions throughout her mma tenure and is one of the premier submission artists, who fights under the Invicta FC promotion. Some of her notable wins include Alexis Davis, Roxanne Modafferi, and Kelly Warren. If she can keep up her winning ways, then she has the potential to do big things in her career.
12. Shayna Baszler
Shayna Bazler has been a great prospect in women's mma. She always comes to fight, and loves to go for submissions. She is currently 15-8 in her career, and has over 14 submissions under her belt. When the fight hits the ground, she is a dominant force, making her one of the most exciting women's fighters to watch. Currently, she fights for Invicta FC, and is a fighter to look for if she can build some momentum in 2013.
11. Amanda Nunes
Amanda Nunes is an exciting female to fighter to watch, who currently fights for Invicta FC. She is currently 7-3 in her mixed martial arts career. When it comes to the standup portion of the fight, Nunes is a formidable opponent and she has over six wins by way of KO. Her submission game is also coming around nicely, making her a tough outing for any fighter her is across the cage from her.
10. Alexis Davis
One of the hottest prospects right now for the Invicta FC promotion is Alexis Davis. She is currently 13-5, and has some quality wins over the likes of Amanda Nunes, Shayna Baszler, and Julie Kedzie. One of her patented submissions is the rear-naked choke, making it difficult for her opponents to get the better of her when they are on the ground. She has a bright future in 2013 if she can continue her winning ways.
9. Zoila Gurgel
One of the best female fighters under the Bellator promotion is Zoila Gurgel. She is dynamic on the feet and has a black belt in tae kwon do. Some of her marquee wins are over Megumi Fujii, Rosi Sexton, and Case Noland. She is coming off a loss to Jessica Eye, but shouldn't have any trouble bouncing back and reclaiming her status as an elite fighter under the Bellator banner.
8. Jessica Aguilar
Jessica Aguilar is coming off one of the biggest wins in her career, where she was able to dominant pound-for-pound great Megumi Fujii. It was a sterling performance that skyrocketed her up the women's rankings. Now 14-4 in her career, she is a hot prospect under the Bellator banner. She is very well-rounded, and can end the fight both standing and on the ground. Look for her to have a big year in Bellator in 2013.
7. Liz Carmouche
Liz Carmouche is currently 7-2 in her mma career, and is set to take one the best woman's mma fighter in Ronda Rousey. This will be the biggest fight of her life, and it will also be on the biggest stage in the sport. For this reason alone, she is a fighter to look for this year. If she is able to upset Ronda Rousey, she will become the new UFC woman's bantamweight champion of the world, and it will also be one of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts history. Fans should expect a war when she squares off with Rousey, which takes place at UFC 157.
6. Marloes Coenen
One of the most dynamic submission specialists in woman's mma history has been Marloes Coenen. She is always looking for submissions, making her an exciting fighter to watch. She is currently 21-5, and has notable wins over Liz Carmouche, Sarah Kaufmann, and Yuuki Kondo. Now fighting for Dream and Invicta FC, she has the potential to resurrect her career and continue climbing the woman's rankings in the bantamweight division.
5. Sarah Kaufman
Sarah Kaufman has been one of the best strikers in women's mma. She has gone to war with the likes of Marloes Coenen, Miesha Tate, and even Ronda Rousey. She is currently 15-2, and remains to be one of the best bantamweights in women's mma. Before losing to Rousey, she was on a two fight winning streak, beating the likes of Liz Carmouche and Alexis Davis. Look for her to have a breakout year in 2013, and don't be surprised to see her fighting in the UFC alongside Ronda Rousey
4. Sarah McMann
One of the hottest prospects right now in women's mma is Sarah McMann. She got a silver medal in freestyle wrestling back in 2004. Also, she is currently unbeaten and is arguably the best wrestler in women's mma. Many feel she will be the fighter to test Ronda's athletic abilities, since she is an Olympic caliber athlete. Look for her to continue her run in 2013 in hopes of making it to the UFC and challenging Ronda Rousey.
3. Miesha Tate
Miesha Tate is arguably the second best fighter in the women's bantamweight division. She was previously ranked number one, but a submission loss to Ronda Rousey derailed her from the top spot. She is now 13-3 and is coming off an emphatic arm bar win over Julie Kedzie under the Strikeforce banner. Tate, one of the best wrestlers in woman's mma, trains with some of the best in Team Alpha Male. Her next move will more than likely be the UFC as she will be looking to avenge her loss and get some revenge on Ronda Rousey.
2. Cyborg Santos
One of the pound-for-pound greatest fighters in women's mma right now is Christiane "Cyborg" Santos. Currently 10-1-1, Cyborg is one of the strongest and most brutal fighters that also has the grappling skills to last with any fighter. She has beaten a who's who list of woman fighters that include Shayna Baszler, Gina Carano, Marloes Coenen, Jan Finney, and Hitomi Akano. If there was any fighter to give Ronda Rousey a run for her money, it's Cyborg as she can test Rousey on the feet and avoid the arm bar attack as well. Look for her to get back in action in 2013 and get her career up and rolling again.
1. Ronda Rousey
The best woman's fighter right now in mixed martial arts is without a doubt Ronda Rousey. She is currently unbeaten, and all of her wins have come by armbar inside the first round. Every fighter she faces doesn't seem to last more than one round, which is a testament to the Olympic Judo skills that Rousey possess. Every single one of her fights has ended in devastating fashion. She has beat Sarah Kaufman and Miesha Tate; both who are considered to be exceptional fighters in their own right. Her biggest fight to date will be against Liz Carmouche. She has the potential to take women's mma to another level when she competes in the UFC, which will be a first for women. Not only is she fighting to keep her bantamweight strap, but she is headlining the card as well. 2013 should be a huge year for Rousey if she can remain unbeaten. She has the looks, the skills, and the star power to be the face of women's mma for a long time.
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