Marina Rodriguez is the UFC Strawweight division's new recruit. To be a top contender, she has worked her way up through the ranks with other young prospects. While she's not the best grappler, she does have the best defense.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Joanna Jedrzejczyk ranks among the best in the UFC's strawweight category. She is an amateur star who made her professional debut at the UFC in 2012. She won both her amateur matches, going 2-0. She made her UFC debut in July 2014 at Lawler vs. Brown. Juliana Lima was Jedrzejczyk’s first opponent. She defeated her via TKO in round one.
Valentina Shevchenko and the Polish fighter in martial arts has similar trainings, having been trained in Muay Thai. In 2012, she began her MMA career as a flyweight. She later moved to the strawweight division. She also competed as a bantamweight at 135 pounds.
Carla Esparza
Carla Esparza is an ex-UFC strawweight champion who was the first woman in UFC history to defend the title twice. Esparza won UFC 274 with a split victory against Rose Namajunas. She has won six straight fights, and will defend her title against Zhang Weili in UFC 281.
The fight will take part in the co-main event at Madison Square Garden, on Nov. 12. The UFC has yet to officially confirm this bout, but bout agreements were sent out and both fighters have posted about it on social media. The news was first reported by MMA Fighting reporter Ariel Helwani.
Rose Namajunas
Rose Namajunas, the UFC strawweight champion, has an impressive record against top competitors. Carla Esparza (currently ranked No. 2. Namajunas was initially scheduled to fight in the co-main, but she was forced out by COVID-19 protocols. Esparza won the fight via rear-naked.
Rose started her professional fighting career with Invicta FC in 2013. Rose then joined the Ultimate Fighter Series, where she was part of the finals. She has been fighting in UFC for 10 years. Her record is now 10-4-0. Her nutrition support system, PERFECT Sports, has been a big part of her success, as it fuels her growth, performance, and recovery.
Jessica Andrade
UFC strawweight Jessica Andrade has a strong record and has attracted fans throughout her career. Before losing to Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the title, she had won three of her fights. Andrade is currently on a winning streak over Claudia Gadelha in her quest to climb up the ladder for the title.
She is a well-respected expert in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as Muay Thai. She signed with the UFC in 2013 and is currently the Women's Strawweight Champion. She will likely be one the main event fighters and title challengers in the fight card. UFC events are dependent upon large crowds to pay their prize money.
Weili Zhang
Weili Zhang, a Chinese mixed martial artist, fights in UFC's strawweight division. Before becoming a professional MMA Fighter, she was a kindergarten instructor, a personal trainer, and a grocery cashier. She began training in MMA in 2012 when she joined the Black Tiger Fight Club of Beijing. In November 2013, her professional debut was against Meng Bo at China MMA League. She lost the fight via split decision, but she then won seven of her subsequent fights. This streak led to a title shot at Kunlun Fight 53.
The fight was not a walk in the park for Zhang. Although she was able get a takedown, Namajunas was strong enough to defend it and force the fight on the mat. Namajunas was then able to score a takedown on her own after a brief exchange.