MMA Fighter Rankings December Edition: Ascension to the throne
PAUL CROCK / AFP / Getty
On the first Wednesday of every month, theScore's MMA editors compile a list of the top 10 fighters in each of the major weight classes.
Rankings
Heavyweight | Light Heavyweight
Middleweight | Welterweight
Lightweight | Featherweight
Bantamweight | Flyweight
Women: Bantamweight | Strawweight
Women's Bantamweight
| Ranking | Fighter |
|---|---|
| 1 | Holly Holm |
| 2 | Ronda Rousey |
| 3 | Cat Zingano |
| 4 | Miesha Tate |
| 5 | Amanda Nunes |
| 6 | Alexis Davis |
| 7 | Sarah Kaufman |
| 8 | Sarah McMann |
| 9 | Julianna Pena |
| 10 | Tonya Evinger |
- And just like that, Ronda Rousey's reign came crumbling down. With a shin across Rousey's jaw at UFC 193, Holly Holm changed the landscape of women's mixed martial arts, deposing the division's ruler while staking her claim to the throne.
- Promotion president Dana White has already said Rousey can have a rematch as soon as she's ready, but with a bevy of film commitments littering her schedule in 2016, Rousey may not return to the Octagon in the near future.
- Should Rousey sit out for an extended period, there's already a queue of potential challengers, including Julianna Pena and Miesha Tate, waiting for their shot.
- Pena, who vowed to invade the cage following Holm-Rousey at UFC 194, stayed in her seat after Holm toppled "Rowdy," likely respecting the magnitude of what had just happened.
- Tate too, is throwing her hat into the ring, suggesting a bout with Holm should Rousey take an extended break from the cage.