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.