Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Women’s Strawweight

1. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (11-0)

Jedrzejczyk failed to record a third consecutive knockout but retained her title nonetheless with a gritty and technical five-round decision over Valerie Letourneau at UFC 193. “Joanna Champion” has now defended the UFC 115-pound strap twice since snatching it from Carla Esparza in March and has racked up five Octagon victories in just 16 months under Zuffa employ. Currently coaching on Season 23 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Jedrzejczyk underwent successful surgery to repair a broken right hand in November and will defend her belt against Claudia Gadelha on July 8.

2. Claudia Gadelha (13-1)

Gadelha rudely welcomed Jessica Aguilar to the Octagon on Aug. 1 in a three-round unanimous decision which saw the Brazilian utilizing powerful and precise striking, along with some well-timed takedowns. The win secured a title shot for the Nova Uniao black belt, who will rematch Joanna Jedrzejczyk on July 8 after coaching opposite the champion on the 23rd season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

3. Jessica Aguilar (19-5)

The former World Series of Fighting titlist was outgunned and outclassed in her Octagon debut, as “JAG” was busted up by Brazilian bruiser Claudia Gadelha at UFC 190. The loss snapped a 10-fight winning streak for Aguilar, who held the division’s top ranking only months ago. She was ticketed for a match with Juliana Lima at UFC 197 on April 23 but had to withdraw after tearing her ACL.

4. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (9-0)

With an unbeaten 9-0 record and her well-rounded, technical game, Karolina Kowalkiewicz looks like a perfect potential foil for UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, especially given both woman's Polish heritage. However, in order for Kowalkiewicz to actualize a massive all-Polish title bout, she will need to deal with dynamic, surging contender Rose Namajunas in what may serve as a 115-pound title eliminator at UFC 201 on July 30.

5. Carla Esparza (11-3)

Returning from a 13-month layoff brought about by shoulder surgery, Esparza got back in the swing of things with a dull but dominant decision win against Brazilian Juliana Lima. It was the first bout for “Cookie Monster” since dropping her UFC strawweight title to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in March 2015.

6. Rose Namajunas (5-2)

On “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 20, Rose Namajunas shocked onlookers by earning multiple stoppages in upset victories before being choked out by Carla Esparza in the inaugural UFC strawweight title bout. Since her championship setback, “Thug Rose” has been immaculate, earning impressive wins over Angela Hill, Paige VanZant and Tecia Torres. Namajunas' path to a second UFC title bid now runs through UFC 201 in Atlanta, where she will take on unbeaten Karolina Kowalkiewicz in a fight that's likely to determine the next challenger for Joanna Jedrzejczyk or Claudia Gadelha after their respective championship rematch.

7. Tecia Torres (7-1)

Four months after putting on the most dominant performance of her young career, Torres came up short in an April 16 rematch against fellow “Ultimate Fighter” Rose Namajunas. The decision defeat put the first official blemish on Torres’ record, though “The Tiny Tornado” suffered exhibition losses to Carla Esparza and Randa Markos during her time on “TUF.”

8. Valerie Letourneau (8-5)

Having competed at 135 pounds for much of her career and struggling to make the 115-pound limit, Valerie Letourneau looked to have lucked out by securing a 125-pound contest against Joanne Calderwood at the UFC Fight Night in Ottawa on June 18. Instead, Letourneau was outgunned from the outset, taking a hellacious beating to the head and body before being stopped in the third round. With such a decisive loss, the only thing buoying “Trouble” from a slide in these rankings is that they are, after all, strawweight rankings.

9. Maryna Moroz (7-1)

Moroz could not consolidate her upset of Joanne Calderwood with a second straight UFC victory, as she wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Valerie Letourneau on Aug. 23. The 23-year-old Ukrainian boxer rebounded on April 10 with a decision victory over Cristina Stanciu in Croatia.

10. Angela Hill (5-2)

Hill captured the Invicta strawweight title from Livia Renata Souza on May 7, surviving multiple submission attempts to outwork the Brazilian on the feet across 25 minutes. Since exiting the UFC in late 2015, “Overkill” has rattled off three straight wins -- including two nasty knockouts -- and showcased an ever-improving game.

Other Contenders: Jessica Andrade, Joanne Calderwood, Kalindra Faria, Polyana Viana Mota, Livia Renata Souza.