Alexa Grasso shocked the MMA world by ending Valentina Shevchenko’s nearly 5-year reign at the top of the UFC flyweight division. This happened via face crank submission at the big gala night in Las Vegas UFC 285, which will also be remembered for the triumphant return of Jon Jones.
Alexa Grasso is the first Mexican champion in the UFC and the 15th overall in the history of the largest MMA organization in the world.
Alexa Grasso is only the third different UFC flyweight champion, mainly because Valentina Shevchenko dominated the division from December 8, 2018, until last Sunday – a total of 1,547 days. Before her, on December 1, 2017, Nicco Montano became the first ever champion in this category, but 9 months later she officially lost the belt due to her inability to handle the weight.
Naturally, Ronda Rousey is the UFC’s women’s pioneer – she was part of the first-ever women’s fight in the Octagon at UFC 157 on February 23, 2013, when she defeated Liz Carmouche with her armbar technique. It was Ronda Rousey who was the first UFC women’s champion to start the women’s bantamweight division.
Ronda Rousey was champion for three years (1,074 days) before she was shockingly knocked out by Holly Holm. However, after that, Holly Holm lost her title to Miesha Tate, and the next dominant in the division was Amanda Nunes. She was on top from July 9, 2016, until December 11, 2021, when she lost to Julianna Pena, but then won the rematch on July 30 of last year and regained the belt, which she still holds today.
Amanda Nunes is the current champion in the lower “featherweight” category as well, and this is a fact from December 29, 2018 to today (1529 days). Before her, this belt was held by Cris Cyborg, who was undefeated for 14 years, but was subsequently destroyed in the Octagon by Amanda Nunes for the title. The first champion in this category was Germaine de Randamie on February 11, 2017, but she was officially disqualified for refusing to defend the belt against Cris Cyborg and remained at the top for only four months.
In the Strawweight division of the UFC, the championship belt changes its owner most often – Carla Esparza was the first on December 12, 2014, but only three months later there is a new queen in the person of Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The Polish fighter has been on top for two and a half years, but Rose Namajunas was crowned on November 4, 2017.
Subsequently, Jéssica Andrade sat on the throne – on May 11, 2019, but only three and a half months later she was overtaken for the belt by Weili Zhang. The Chinese is No 1 until April 24, 2021, when she is dethroned by Rose Namajunas, and then it’s Carla Esparza’s turn to return to the throne. Since November 12, Weili Zhang has been the champion for the second time in her career.
