Breaking Barriers
Breaking Barriers | The Next Generation
A Glimpse At The Emerging UFC Women’s Talent We’re Likely To Be Watching For Years To Come
More than 13 years since the first women’s fight in the Octagon, the UFC’s women’s divisions are more dynamic than ever as they continue to make history. Earlier this month, UFC inducted its first women’s fight into the Hall of Fame, honoring the strawweight title bout between Zhang Weili and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
History continues to be made each day, and with the talent currently on the roster, one has to assume even greater accomplishments will follow. Although stars like Valentina Shevchenko and Amanda Nunes have set the standard for every woman who follows, these fighters are in position to chase those record-setters as well as create some iconic moments of their own for years to come:
Erin Blanchfield
New Jersey’s Erin Blanchfield has developed from prodigious talent into one of the best flyweights in the world since joining the roster as a 21-year-old in July 2021. Blanchfield tallied a 8-1 record in the Octagon, boasting wins over former champions like Jéssica Andrade and Rose Namajunas.
A decorated submission artist, Blanchfield, still just 26, has continued to develop her overall game and is keen to earn her first shot at gold at some point in the next year or two.
Fatima Kline
Fatima Kline, Blanchfield’s main training partner, broke into the promotion in July 2024 when she stepped in on short notice to fight a weight class up, and although she lost the bout, she was able to use that foothold to launch herself into the strawweight division in 2025.
Fatima Kline Elbows Her Way To Victory | UFC Fight Night: Dern vs Ribas 2
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Fatima Kline Elbows Her Way To Victory | UFC Fight Night: Dern vs Ribas 2
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Last year, the 25-year-old Kline showed why she is considered one of the most promising prospects in the sport, scoring three wins (including two knockouts) in 2025 to position herself well in 2026.
Natalia Silva
Brazil has long been a MMA hotbed, and Natalia Silva is one of the sharpest talents to emerge from the country in the last handful of years. Joining the roster in June 2022, Silva is perfect through eight trips to the Octagon, picking up wins over former champions Andrade, Namajunas and Alexa Grasso to stretch her overall winning streak to 14.
At 29 years old, she is considered one of the top challengers for Shevchenko’s title.
Gillian Robertson
Gillian Robertson joined the roster via The Ultimate Fighter way back in 2017, and so it’s a bit of a shock to realize the Florida-based Canadian is still just 30 years old. Starting as a flyweight, Robertson has fought anyone and everyone. Her seven submission wins are the most from any woman, and her 10 overall finishes have her tied with Nunes for most overall.
Gillian Robertson | Submission Showcase
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Gillian Robertson | Submission Showcase
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She really found her groove when she moved down to strawweight in April 2023, collecting three more stoppages and positioning herself well in the division’s title picture.
Maycee Barber
You have to have confidence to wear the nickname, “The Future,” and Maycee Barber has exactly that. Scoring her contract on Dana White’s Contender Series two months after turning 20, Barber hit the Octagon running, picking up three consecutive knockout wins.
After back-to-back losses and an ACL tear, Barber has lodged herself in the thick of the flyweight rankings with seven consecutive victories dating back to July 2021. Still just 27 years old, Barber is hoping to earn her first shot at UFC gold within the next year or so.
Iasmin Lucindo
Another wunderkind in the women’s division is Iasmin Lucindo. The Brazilian strawweight arrived to the roster in August 2022 at just 20 years old and has tallied a 5-2 record, including wins over Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Marina Rodirugez and Angela Hill.
More than half of her wins have come inside the distance, and she has flirted with the rankings for a couple of years already.
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Carli Judice
“Crispy” Carli Judice didn’t have a conventional path to mixed martial arts. The Louisiana-native was a softball player before the fighting bug bit, and she showed up to Dana White’s Contender Series with a whopping three professional fights under her belt. She would lose that September 2023 bout via split decision, but she impressed enough to get the rare honor of a contract anyway.
Carli Judice Knocks Out Yuneisy Duben In The First Round | UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Dolidze 2
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Carli Judice Knocks Out Yuneisy Duben In The First Round | UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Dolidze 2
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After dropping her UFC debut, Judice bounced back in a big way in 2025. Her first UFC win came via first-round head kick in March 2025, and she followed that with a third-round stoppage at UFC 318 in her home state, earning Performance Bonuses on both occasions. The 27-year-old kept the momentum in 2026, earning a decision win over Juliana Miller, and looks to continue climbing the flyweight rankings.
Joselyne Edwards
Panama’s Joselyne Edwards is a testament to staying the course. After kicking off her UFC career to a 4-4 start, “La Pantera” found her rhythm to the tune of four consecutive stoppage wins.
Joselyne Edwards Secures Statement Round 2 Submission | UFC Houston
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Joselyne Edwards Secures Statement Round 2 Submission | UFC Houston
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Now 30, Edwards is in her best form as she seeks to establish herself in the bantamweight division’s wide-open rankings.
Wang Cong
In the tradition of decorated kickboxers making the transition to mixed martial arts, Wang Cong made her much-acclaimed journey to the UFC in August 2024. Boasting a win over Valentina Shevchenko, Cong matched the hype when she knocked out Victoria Leonardo 62 seconds into her debut.
After suffering her first professional loss in November 2024, she bounced back with a trio of steady, decisive wins to put her on the precipice of the flyweight rankings.
