The UFC women’s divisions, save for featherweight, have all fully matured at this point. Once upon a time, there was a question of whether female fighters could survive without a star like Ronda Rousey at the helm, but no longer. MMA arguably represents one of the few bright spots for professional female athletes, alongside tennis, golf, and perhaps soccer.
There’s always a need for fresh talent, of course. While the UFC remains non-committal on the featherweight division (former boxer Danielle Wolf being their only 145lb signing in 2020), the other weight classes could use some reinforcements.
Last year, five of our picks made it to the big show. Can we do better this time out?
Here’s a look at last year’s list, with Casey O’Neill, Cheyanne Buys, Liliya Shakirova, Luana Pinheiro, and Mariya Agapova signing with the UFC in 2020:
Casey O’Neill
Cheyanne Buys
Hailey Cowan
Julia Polastri
Kanako Murata
Liliya Shakirova
Linda Darrow
Lisa Verzosa
Lucrezia Ria
Luana Pinheiro
Mariya Agapova
Melissa Martinez
Mandy Bohm
Maria Silva
Svetlana Gotsyk
Now on with the show!
