Athletes
Where We Stand: Women's Strawweight Division | April 2024
Zhang Weili Kept Her Crown In Dominant Fashion And Still Has A Few Intriguing Challengers Awaiting Her
The carousel at the top of the women’s strawweight division remained steady as Zhang Weili defended her title for a second consecutive time and third time overall, but it wasn’t without drama. Yan Xiaonan, in her first title fight, was nearly finished twice but pushed the champion to the brink on a couple occasions herself. Alas, “Magnum” kept the belt for her own, and it seems as though one contender, in particular, stands out as the next challenger.
This is where we stand in the women’s strawweight division:
Outlook: “Magnum” was pushed to her limits, but mainly because she nearly finished Yan twice in two rounds, first via rear naked choke and second when she emptied her gas tank via ground-and-pound. Yan did well to survive, and Zhang clearly was feeling her efforts in the third round, but the champion dug deep in rounds four and five to control Yan and get the job done. Now, it seems clear that Tatiana Suarez is next in line after she returned to action successfully in 2023. If, when and where that matchup takes place is way up in the air, but Zhang has shown the resiliency and continued improvement to take on all comers.
1) Tatiana Suarez
Last Fight: Submission Win vs Jéssica Andrade (8/5/2023)
Next fight: N/A
Two Straws - Tatiana Suarez | Angela Hill & Jessica Penne
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Two Straws - Tatiana Suarez | Angela Hill & Jessica Penne
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Outlook: Suarez returned from nearly four years away from competition to take out Montana De La Rosa and Jéssica Andrade in the span of six months, earning performance bonuses in both. The undefeated 33-year-old seems right on the cusp of a title shot, her lone bugaboo being her health. She was originally slated to face Mackenzie Dern at UFC 298 but withdrew from the matchup. Now, however, she stands as the clear No. 1 contender, all things considered. Whether she needs to cement her claim on the title shot or not, Suarez is a big threat to whomever holds the title.
2) Yan Xiaonan
Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Loss vs Zhang Weili (4/13/2024)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: Yan looked the part of a UFC champion when she pushed past nearly getting submitted and stopped in successive rounds. Scoring a pair of knockdowns on the champion, Yan certainly had her chances in her first title shot, although she ultimately came up short. Next for Yan, who should take away many positives from the five-round battle, is rebuilding her case for a second title shot. Other than Andrade, Yan hasn’t fought anyone else inside the Top 5, so those are all available and quality matchups for her.
3) Amanda Lemos
Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Win vs Mackenzie Dern (2/17/2024)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: After falling short in her first title shot in August 2023, Lemos bounced back well when she outhustled Dern in their Fight of the Night bout at UFC 298. The 36-year-old Brazilian looked at her bruising best against Dern, a short-notice replacement who stepped in for Suarez. While Lemos wasn’t able to get the finish, she showed good defensive grappling improvement after her fight with Zhang. Lemos already holds wins over Andrade, but any other matchup in the Top 5 makes sense for her.
4) Jéssica Andrade
Last Fight: Split Decision Win vs Marina Rodriguez (4/13/2024)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: Even when the former strawweight champion was on the wrong end of three consecutive finishes, few questioned whether Andrade still good enough to compete with the division’s elite. Andrade was her usual gritty and powerful self, edging Marina Rodriguez on the scorecards while landing the more impactful shots on a consistent basis. The bout makes it back-to-back wins for the 32-year-old, who already holds a submission win over Lemos. The recent turnover in the division’s Top 5 reopens things for Andrade a little bit, who did lose via knockout to Yan and submission to Suarez last summer. That said, a fight against Jandiroba would make sense for her to continue to cement her place in the Top 5, although Andrade is well-known for taking on any fight, which could come outside the top of the division.
5) Virna Jandiroba
Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Win vs Loopy Godinez (3/30/2024)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: Jandiroba is probably the dark horse of the division, having won three consecutive fights and four of her last five. The Brazilian submission specialist continues to round out her whole game, which she put on display in her last win against Loopy Godinez in Atlantic City. The 35-year-old “Carcará” has not yet fought anyone inside the Top 5, and after defending her spot against Godinez, she could be due for a big matchup next. A win in her next fight might be enough to thrust her into title talks.
In the Mix: Marina Rodriguez, Mackenzie Dern, Amanda Ribas
Outlook: Outside of the Top 5 sit three Brazilian hopefuls coming off losses. Rodriguez fought Andrade well, but failed to secure the big moments in the fight to get the nod from the judges and has now lost three of her last four. At one point, it seemed Rodriguez was on the edge of a title shot, but the 36-year-old will have some work to do to get back to that point.
The same goes for Dern, who is coming off back-to-back losses to Andrade and Lemos. The 31-year-old jiu jitsu wizard has also lost three of her last four, but her skills on the mat continue to make her a dangerous contender if she can string together the right results. Speaking of consistency, Ribas has struggled to put together consecutive wins, having split her last eight fights dating back to 2020. The ranked flyweight and strawweight fell short to Rose Namajunas in a flyweight main event in March 2024, but the 30-year-old continues to show great potential in both weight classes.
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