As the year draws to a close, it offers us a great opportunity to take a look at the state of the UFC’s roster, and what we can expect in the upcoming months.
Today, we’re going to be looking at the Women’s Strawweight division (115lbs).
As much as any other in the UFC, the Strawweight division is one that struggles for top tier talent. Due to it’s young age (it’s implementation into the UFC being just last year), it’s yet to have a multitude of high level fighters.
Going through the rankings, once one gets past the third or fourth name, you really get a sense of how much the division lacks depth. It’s also those three or four names that stand head and shoulders above the rest of the division.
Championed by Joanna Jędrzejczyk, who quite possibly possess the slickest striking ability in the entire company, let alone amongst the women, Strawweight has a contrast between the top and bottom in terms of skill.
That’s why Strawweight, much like the Flyweight division with Demetrious Johnson, is quickly becoming a one person show.
Jędrzejczyk may have only been in the UFC since summer of 2014, but she has quickly become the woman to beat at 115lbs. Undefeated in the sport, the Pole won the title in her third UFC bout, winning a one sided destruction of then champion Carla Esparza.
Most recently, the champion beat Valérie Létourneau in a gritty decision at UFC 193. Although some felt that Joanna ‘Champion’ didn’t look impressive, credit should go to Létourneau (ranked #6), who managed to nullify much of Jędrzejczyk’s offense.
Despite breaking her hand in that bout, rumours hint that the Strawweight champion won’t be taking time off as previously thought, and instead will be coaching The Ultimate Fighter season 23 against previous opponent Cláudia Gadelha.
Jędrzejczyk and Gadelha have met in the Octagon once before (Jędrzejczyk winning by split decision), in what is probably considered Jędrzejczyk’s most challenging fight to date. That loss is the sole mark on Gadelha’s record, and one that she would love to make up for.
If the TUF coaching gig turns out to be correct, then it’s likely we’ll see the two face each other in April or May.
Things get slightly murky when we try and assess who will face the winner of that fight, with no challengers really separating themselves from the rest of the pack. While one could point to Rose Namajunas (#3), who recently defeated Paige VanZant with a flawless performance, Namajunas has put distance between herself and a title shot, instead preferring to take more time to develop her skills. At only 23, Namajunas has a time to wait before she faces someone of the champions experience and ability.
As for VanZant, that fight showed she has a long way to go before she faces championship level opponents, although Jędrzejczyk (like much of the MMA community) has been complimentary of her grit in defeat.
Rose’s wish to take more time means Strawweights future is up in the air. While former champion Carla Esparza is ranked second behind Gadhela, the manner of her loss to Jędrzejczyk means it’s unlikely she’ll be granted a rematch in the near future. Another possibility could be Tecia Torres, whose undefeated in her last three. Torres has previously lost to Esparza on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, and a rematch between the two could be a decent eliminator fight to find the next number one contender.
In a division as thin as Strawweight though, one wonders the likelihood of the UFC sacrificing a possible challenger to another.
Other names in the division that could gain attention after one or two wins would be Joanne Calderwood (#8), who was due to face VanZant before injury pulled her from that fight, or perhaps previously unranked Karolina Kowalkiewicz who recently made her UFC debut with a win over Randa Markos.
For now though, Strawweight remains a division awaiting clarity.
Predictions for 2016: Joanna Jędrzejczyk beats all challengers, including an overwhelmed Rose Namajunas at the end of the year.
