5 Female MMA Fighters the UFC Needs Now

The world of women's mixed martial arts is growing rapidly. We have Ronda Rousey and others to thank for that, as more women are entering the sport and becoming more successful.

Not long ago, UFC President Dana White would have told you that women would never step foot in the Octagon. Now they are headlining pay-per-views and becoming stars in their own right, exceeding all expectations before them.

The UFC has a bantamweight and strawweight division that still need expanding. So, here are five fighters that they should ink as soon as possible.

DeAnna Bennett

Record: 7-0

Weight Class: Strawweight

Three weight classes, seven fights, zero losses. If you've been keeping an eye on DeAnna Bennett, you've realized she is one of the best talents in women's MMA who has flown under the radar.

A Pit Elevated team member, Bennett has gone undefeated while taking on some tough talent. Her time with Invicta has been less than a year, and she has gone 3-0 with the company against the likes of Michelle Ould, Jennifer Maia and Norma Center, showing how great she already is.

The strawweight division is still developing and is clearly more deep than the bantamweight division. Adding Bennett, a clear top-10 talent, would create some great matchups and give Joanna Jedrzejczyk a potential title challenger in the near future.

Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Record: 7-0

Weight Class: Strawweight

Like DeAnna Bennett, Karolina Kowalkiewicz is a 7-0 strawweight who is a top-10 talent. Like country-woman Joanna Jedrzejczyk, she is a Polish fighter who is undefeated.

In short, Kowalkiewicz should be a top priority for the UFC to sign, especially if they go to Europe soon.

Kowalkiewicz has been beating top strawweights in both Poland and Invicta. Wins over Mizuki Inoue, Kalindra Faria and Simona Soukupova have shown that she is undoubtedly a top talent that the UFC needs to get on the roster.

She's just a shining example of Poland's burgeoning MMA scene.

Alexa Grasso

Record: 7-0

Weight Class: Strawweight

Yet another 7-0 strawweight prospect comes in the form of Alexa Grasso, a Mexican fighter who has been developing a great following among fans.

The best part about Grasso is how young she is (22) and how good she already is. If she continues to get better, there's no reason she won't be challenging for a title in the near future.

She's also highly marketable. Mexico's MMA business is booming right now, so capitalizing on what is likely the best Mexican fighter in MMA right now would be a smart move for the UFC.

As you see, strawweight has a ton of talent that the UFC can tap. What about the bantamweights, though?

Pannie Kianzad

Record: 8-0

Weight Class: Bantamweight

The UFC bantamweight division is sputtering. Nobody has gotten close to beating Ronda Rousey and there has barely been any movement in the rankings since the get-go.

Pannie Kianzad is one of the few 135-pounders outside the UFC with the potential to be top 10 upon entry to the company. She is a great mix of boxing and grappling, which has been the cause of all of her dominant victories.

She already has a title shot at Tonya Evinger coming up (who should be in the UFC as well). A win there should make her a shoo-in to make it to the UFC roster.

Plus, she's from Sweden, another country that is an absolute hot bed for MMA.

Valentina Shevchenko

Record: 9-1

Weight Class: Bantamweight

Flying under the radar at 135 pounds is kickboxer Valentina Shevchenko, who currently competes under the Legacy FC banner. She has been a buzz saw in both the MMA and kickboxing world, which should earn her a UFC try.

Outside of a 2011 loss to Liz Carmouche, Shevchenko has been untouchable against her competition. Not only has she outstruck people, she owns a number of submissions on her record.

Again, bantamweight is a very shallow division. Adding this brawler would add greatly to the 135-pound division.