MMA in 2014: The Top 5 Female Fighters
Women's MMA took a giant step forward in 2014, whether it was because there were a record number of fights, the re-inclusion of women in Bellator or The Ultimate Fighter 20 crowning a UFC strawweight champion. Basically, it was a big year for the ladies.
Ronda Rousey continued to be the face of the charge. Bethe Correia is on her heels after beating two of her stablemates, and Carla Esparza took home UFC gold. Invicta got busy at the tail end of the year, and Cris "Cyborg" Justino failed in an attempt to move to 135 pounds.
I could go on and on.
Simply put, 2014 was a pivotal year for women's MMA, and some great things came out of the year. However, in examining the year, who were the top five female fighters? Let's take a look.
Honorable Mentions
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Plenty of women had great 2014 campaigns. Here are some of the fighters who just missed being in the top five.
| Fighter | 2014 Record | Notable Wins |
| DeAnna Bennett | 4-0 | Michelle Ould, Jennifer Maia |
| Bethe Correia | 2-0 | Jessamyn Duke, Shayna Baszler |
| Ayaka Hamasaki | 2-0 | Naho Sugiyama, Mei Yamaguchi |
| Pannie Kianzad | 3-0 | Annalisa Bucci, Eeva Siiskonen |
| Karolina Kowalkiewicz | 2-0 | Jasminka Cive, Mizuki Inoue |
| Roxanne Modafferi | 2-0 | Tara LaRosa, Andrea Lee |
| Miesha Tate | 2-0 | Liz Carmouche, Rin Nakai |
5. Tonya Evinger
2 of 62014 Record: 2-0
Notable Wins: Ediane Gomes, Cindy Dandois
2013 had its ups and downs for Tonya Evinger. While she made the cast of TUF 18, she was ousted in the elimination round by Raquel Pennington, which ended her run on the show before moving into the house. However, she bounced back with an Invicta win over Sarah D'Alelio.
Evinger's 2014 was much better.
She only had two bouts in 2014, but both were high-profile fights that put her on the map and have her as a potential top-15 fighter in the women's bantamweight division.
She first took on Ediane Gomes, a ranked featherweight who was looking to make a run at the UFC in the 135-pound division. Evinger was a huge underdog in the bout but ended up shocking viewers when she snagged a beautiful armbar and made the Brazilian tap out.
That win got her back into the minds of WMMA fans. She was then given a co-main event slot against returning veteran Cindy Dandois, which was a big fight. Again utilizing an armbar, she tapped out the Belgian, which put her in line for not only an Invicta title bout but a potential spot on the UFC roster.
Evinger really pushed her stock forward this year.
4. Herica Tiburcio
3 of 62014 Record: 2-0
Notable Wins: Michelle Waterson, Aline Sattelmayer
In 2014, Herica Tiburcio competed in two weight classes and was successful in both. However, it was her drop down in divisions that reaped the most rewards.
Tiburcio fought just twice in 2014, starting off with a strawweight bout in Brazil against veteran Aline Sattelmayer. As was with most of Tiburcio's bouts, she used her workmanlike takedowns in unison with her overwhelming ground game to stifle her opponent to a convincing unanimous decision.
She then joined Invicta FC and immediately dropped to a weight class that was more suitable for the 4'11" grappler: the atomweight division.
She was thrown into the deep end of the pool right away, as she was given an immediate title shot at company poster girl Michelle Waterson. Tiburcio, an unknown to most fans unfamiliar with WMMA, was a massive underdog.
However, she showed her worth and skill in that fight. For three rounds, she grounded and suffocated Waterson, not letting The Karate Hottie get her striking going. Then, she finally secured her signature guillotine choke, which tore the championship strap from the waist of Waterson.
Tiburcio is now the top-ranked atomweight in the world and a champion in a major organization. That's not bad for the fighter I like to refer to as a "spark plug" of a woman.
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3. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
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2014 Record: 4-0
Notable Wins: Claudia Gadelha, Rosi Sexton
Poland's Joanna Jedrzejczyk was famous for two things in 2014. First, it was damn-near impossible for UFC announcers to correctly pronounce her name. Second, she was a busy fighter who went from being a regional star to a top contender in the UFC with four victories on the year.
Jedrzejczyk, a muay thai striker, went 2-0 outside the UFC before entering the company. She bested European circuit mainstay Karla Benitez, before starching UFC veteran Rosi Sexton with one of the nastiest knockouts of the year in Cage Warriors.
That horrendous one-punch KO landed the Pole a UFC contract, for which she got down to work quickly.
In her UFC debut, she completely outclassed Julianna Lima, a Brazilian fighter who was set to compete on TUF 20 before producers realized she couldn't speak English. Using strikes and superior takedown defense, Jedrzejczyk made it a long 15 minutes for "Ju Thai."
Then, in her sophomore effort, which took place in the aftermath of the crowning of a UFC strawweight champion, Jedrzejczyk upset Claudia Gadelha, whom many pegged as the biggest challenge to the UFC title. Again, using takedown defense and superior striking, she edged the top-three fighter on the scorecards, likely earning a title shot in the process.
Jedrzejczyk is expected by many fans to get the first crack at Carla Esparza in 2015.
2. Carla Esparza
5 of 62014 Record: 1-0 (3-0 on TUF)
Notable Wins: Rose Namajunas, Jessica Penne (on TUF)
On an actual recorded historical level in 2014, Carla Esparza went just 1-0 on the year. However, the TUF 20 tournament, which counts as exhibition bouts instead of actual professional record bouts, made Esparza 4-0 on the year against some of the top competition at 115 pounds.
Esparza, who hadn't competed since January of 2013 for various reasons, entered the TUF tournament as the top seed and Invicta champion. Questions about her inactivity hurt her, which she put to bed quickly.
In the opening round, Esparza quickly overwhelmed Angela Hill with her wrestling and choked her out with a rear-naked choke. Following that up in the quarterfinals, she outhustled Tecia Torres to a majority decision in two rounds, moving on to the semifinals, where she bested friend Jessica Penne on the scorecards.
That earned her a spot in the finals at the live finale, which would actually count on her pro record. She completely dominated Rose Namajunas for three rounds with her wrestling before utilizing a rear-naked choke.
That win made her the first-ever UFC strawweight champion, a distinction which will keep her in the record books. It was a busy year for the champ, but it was a fruitful one as well.
1. Ronda Rousey
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2014 Record: 2-0
Notable Wins: Sara McMann, Alexis Davis
Love it or hate it, Ronda Rousey continued to be the best woman in the world at mixed martial arts. Not only that, but she added a new wrinkle to her invincible aura.
Known for her armbar prowess, thanks to her Olympic judo background and ferocious grappling chops, Rousey did a complete 180 in 2014. Instead of applying armbar finishes, she surprised fans with what was perceived as her weakness.
2014 saw Rousey compete for just one minute, 22 seconds. In that time, she crippled Sara McMann with a knee to the body and destroyed Alexis Davis with a head-and-arm throw into a barrage of hammerfists.
Say what you will about the champion, but her legend continues to grow. She is still the crown jewel of women's MMA and continued to show why in a dominant 2014 campaign.
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