The Beaten Path: 5 WMMA Prospects to Keep Your Eye on by Division

Women's MMA is rapidly growing due to Invicta FC, the UFC and the popularity of this season's The Ultimate Fighter. Stars like Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and Cris "Cyborg" Justino are helping to bring light to the sport, while the young up-and-comers are putting on great fights to keep fans interested.

It wasn't long ago that women had few places to fight and earn a good payday. Bellator had the occasional fight, Strikeforce had some, and Japan had its share. Now, WMMA is all the craze.

Who are the stars in women's MMA? Here are five female prospects per division to keep your eye on.

Featherweight

Veronica Rothenhausler

1. Veronica Rothenhausler (1-0)
2. Ashlee Evans-Smith (2-0)
3. Tamikka Brents (2-0)
4. Pannie Kianzad (4-0)
5. Talita Nogueira (5-0)

The featherweight division is ruled by “Cyborg,” as Cris Justino continues her iron grip on the division. However, it is a top-heavy division in terms of talent, as most of the top stars in this division have made the drop to 135, leaving only a handful of major league talent.

Some of those women include Canadian mauler Julia Budd, Dutch submission artist Marloes Coenen and Brazilian buzzsaw Ediane Gomes.

Possibly the top prospect due to her uncanny power and gift of size is Veronica Rothenhausler. The Team Alpha Male rep is larger than most of the men in her gym, not that that’s saying much.

Just look at her amateur record. She has two knockouts in under 10 seconds. Her pro debut saw her win a fun shootout when she downed Katalina Malungahu in vicious fashion.

Then there’s recent media darling Ashlee Evans-Smith, who has a collegiate record that has seen her go from high-level grappler to all-around mixed martial artist. She notched her biggest win when she stopped the controversial Fallon Fox with strikes.

Tamikka Brents is cut from the rugged, grinder mold, as this undefeated prospect has looked like a future title contender. She is physical and aggressive, which have sparked her meteoric rise in WMMA.

If you go overseas to a this little country called Sweden, you will find a rapidly rising star in Pannie Kianzad. Though many were skeptical of her skills and undefeated record, she silenced doubters when she won a convincing decision over Russian mainstay Milana Dudieva on the latter’s home soil.

Finally, Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Talita Nogueira recently returned to MMA after a couple of years away from the sport. Her return saw her continue her perfect mark, as the suffocating grappler known as “Treta” moved her unblemished record to 5-0. 

Bantamweight

Miriam Nakamoto

1. Miriam Nakamoto (2-0)
2. Larissa Pacheco (8-0)
3. Irene Aldana (3-0)
4. Jessamyn Duke (2-0)
5. Ana Maria (5-4)

The bantamweight division is very tough to find top prospects, as most of the high-end talent is currently in the UFC. However, bantamweight is arguably the most stacked division, with its closest rival being strawweight.

The top prospect has to be Muay Thai queen Miriam Nakamoto, whose nasty clinch game and horrifying knees have led to all of her MMA stoppages. Her win over Duda Yankovich, as well as a win-turned-no-contest over Jessamyn Duke, were enough to make me lose sleep at the thought of crossing paths with her.

We will see if her top prospect tag pans out, as she is scheduled to fight at Invicta 7 in December opposite Lauren Murphy. It could earn her a UFC ticket, unless she continues to want no-strings attached so she can continue to compete in Muay Thai.

Larissa Pacheco has been soaring up the Brazilian regional scene due to her uncanny stopping power and spectacular knockouts. She is currently the top Brazilian prospect at 135, and I wouldn’t be shocked if the UFC gave her a call in the near future.

Mexican WMMA is currently in the early stages of development, but one woman making a name for herself due to her undefeated record and highlight reel of knockouts is Irene Aldana. The 3-0 Mexican tornado has used her devastating striking to put away all of her foes, but MMA pundits would like to see a step up in competition to see if she’s for real.

It’s hard not to include some of the women that are on The Ultimate Fighter 18, and I tried to stay away from it. However, due to her fun style and personality, Jessamyn Duke has all the qualities to be a star. The tall, lanky striker put on the fight of the season opposite Raquel Pennington, who won the slugfest by decision. Duke used rangy striking and overall toughness in a presentation that can only be described as a classic.

Lastly, Brazilian Ana “India” Maria has tons of potential as a MMA star. Though her record sits just above the .500 mark, her strength of schedule is something that has to be admired. Her Brazilan jiu-jitsu is top notch, and her submission ability is equally scary. With some further commitment in the gym, she could be a future contender in MMA.

Flyweight

Kalindra Faria

1. Kalindra Faria (11-3-1)
2. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (4-0)
3. Pearl Gonzalez (2-0)
4. Rachael Cummins (2-1)
5. Monica Lovato (5-3)

The flyweight division is in a weird place. Fighters like Barb Honchak, Leslie Smith, Michelle Ould and Jennifer Maia possess talent, but they are always a threat to bolt the division if they have UFC aspirations at 135.

Kalindra Faria, ranked in the top 10 in most WMMA outlets, is easily the top prospect in the division. The scary Brazilian has been trashing opponents in 2013, which has been a busy but successful year for her.

She has a great submission base but can bang on the feet as well. Many WMMA fans await her arrival to the U.S., as she has done her work in Brazil.

Overseas, Polish prospect Joanna Jedrzejczyk has made a name for herself by winning great fights. She is undefeated and could market herself well in the U.S. with her aesthetically pleasing style.

Pearl Gonzalez has quickly climbed the MMA rankings due to her XFC title win and fun style. She recently tapped Courtney Casey with a beautiful submission to claim the title and effectively put the flyweight division on notice.

Rachael Cummins is a nifty grappler who is famous for her brief relationship with the controversial War Machine, as well as her signature style that has seen her outgrapple many a foe. Her recent tapout of Michele Gutierrez was quick, effective and enough to turn heads in the world of WMMA.

Last but not least, Monica Lovato has proved to be a name to watch out for while fighting out on the West Coast. The well-rounded fighter has put together a solid resume and could become a household name if she continues to put on eye-catching performances.

Strawweight

Tecia Torres

1. Tecia Torres (3-0)
2. Mizuki Inoue (6-1)
3. Stephanie Eggink (4-1)
4. Rose Namajunas (2-1)
5. Alida Gray (3-0)

The strawweight division is in contention for the deepest division against the bantamweight division, as anybody within the top 25 is a dangerous adversary. The division has stars like Carla Esparza, Joanne Calderwood and Felice Herrig, all of whom are in the cream of the crop at 115.

Tecia Torres, despite being highly ranked, is in the running for top prospect due to her solid boxing ability and well-roundedness. The American Top Team rep is getting better with every outing, which includes a fun, close decision over fellow top prospect Rose Namajunas.

Speaking of Namajunas, the girlfriend of Pat Barry is also an exciting, top prospect. The flying armbar queen has a slick ground game that includes a submission over Katina Catron by (you guessed it) a flying armbar.

Japanese prodigy Mizuki Inoue isn’t even old enough to legally drink in the United States, but she is possibly the most interesting prospect at 115. The Japanese dynamo proved that not all Japanese fighters traveling to the U.S. fall into trouble. She outworked the respected Bec Hyatt to an impressive decision, effectively shooting her stock through the roof.

Current XFC champion Stephanie Eggink is getting a lot of attention these days for her infectious personality and skills and growth as a mixed martial artist. A former high-level boxer, she showed that she can grapple as well in her last go-around, as she triangled well-traveled vet Angela Magana to win the title.

Lastly, a prospect flying under most people’s radar is Alida Grey, a young pro who has quietly been building a solid resume. After tapping out the vastly experienced Bellator vet Patricia Vidonic, Grey went on to smash Soannia Tiem in a recent bout to solidify her top prospect status.

Atomweight

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Simona Soukpova

1. Simona Soukupova (4-3)
2. Alex Chambers (4-1)
3. Jinh Yu (2-0)
4. Amber Brown (3-1)
5. Angelica Chavez (4-2)

The atomweight division is full of women who seemingly have so-so records, but that is because they have been forced to fight up weight classes for the longest time. Now with women getting more diverse opportunities, these athletes can compete at their natural weight of 105 with ease.

Two women who are in the top 10 but still considered top prospects are the United Kingdom's Simona Soukupova and Australia’s Alex Chambers.

Soukupova is a power striker who burst onto the atomweight scene through the Invicta FC organization. On late notice, the heavy hitter took on a vastly experienced Cassie Rodish and beat her convincingly, which launched her stock through the roof.

Chambers used Invicta to get wider recognition. The little-known Aussie took on Greg Jackson disciple Jodie Esquibel, who was favored by many. Chambers won, effectively pushing her name toward the front of the line.

One of the under-the-radar prospects who will burst on the national scene any minute is Jinh Yu. The vicious striker is a YouTube hit, as her violent knockout of Darla Harris has earned her all sorts of mad props.

Amber Brown made a name for herself as a late-replacement fighter opposite Japanese star Kikuyo Ishikawa in a fight she wasn’t supposed to win. However, a submission over Ishikawa established a name and a positive reputation for the American fighter that has her labeled as a top prospect now.

The final prospect comes in the form of Angelica Chavez, an XFC veteran with well-rounded skills and a strong camp to back her. Skilled on the feet and on the ground, this fighter has recently been bit by the injury bug, so we await her return so she can wow us with her skills again.