MMA is one of the fastest-growing sports today and home to the world’s fittest athletes.
With a record number of fans flocking to the screens to watch UFC bouts, there has been a growing number of female MMA fighters that have created a sizable following.
In this blog post, we’ll look at the hottest female UFC fighters in the MMA sphere and share some facts about their accomplishments and background in martial arts.
Let’s dive in.
Paige VanZant
- Nickname: 12 Gauge
- Age: 27 years
- Career Record: 8-5-0
- Years Active: 2012-Present
- Country: United States
Paige Van Zant is one of the most popular female MMA stars and for many, the hottest UFC women fighter.
In fact, she managed to sign a deal with Reebok only after one fight in the UFC and has made an appearance in the television shows “Chopped” and “Dancing with the Stars.”
Her first bout in UFC was against Kallin Curran, whom she defeated. She went on to win fights against Felice Herrig and Alex Chambers, among others, and amassed a good record before she retired from UFC.
VanZant left the UFC to fight in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. She is also currently signed to All Elite Wrestling as a wrestler.
You can find her Instagram page here.
Michelle Waterson
- Nickname: The Karate Hottie
- Age: 36 years
- Career Record: 18-9-0
- Years Active: 2007 – Present
- Country: United States and Thailand
Michelle Waterson is arguably the hottest UFC female fighter on the current UFC roster.
Waterson has an impressive background in martial arts. Before joining the MMA fighting world, Waterson trained in Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, Wushu, and Brazilian jiu-Jitsu.
She only added to the long list of accomplishments from there. Waterson held the No. 1 spot in the women’s atomweight fighter list for two consecutive years, has won the Invicta FC Atomweight Championship, and has a black belt in American Freestyle Karate.
Finally, she is one of the few MMA fighters who have made their debut without taking part in any amateur fights.
To find her Instagram page, click here.
Mackenzie Dern
- Nickname: N/A
- Age: 28 years
- Career Record: 11-2-0
- Years Active: 2016 – Present
- Country: United States and Brazil
Before being signed to the UFC, Mackenzie Dern had a professional career in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where she became a multiple-times world champion in both gi and no-gi competitions.
She won her first four professional fights, after which she signed with Invicta Fighting Championship in 2017. She later joined the UFC, making her debut in 2018, at UFC 222, against Ashley Yoder, in a bout that Dern won.
Her most controversial fight was against Amanda Cooper at UFC 224. Dern weighed 7 pounds over the upper limit for a strawweight non-title fighter and was fined 30% of her purse.
Her next bout is scheduled for April 9, 2022, at UFC 273, against Tecia Torres.
You can find her Instagram profile here.
Miesha Tate
- Nickname: Cupcake
- Age: 35 years
- Career Record: 19-8-0
- Years Active: 2007- 2016; 2021- Present
- Country: United States
Miesha Tate is largely considered to be the hottest UFC women fighter who, alongside Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, led to an increase in women’s MMA viewership numbers.
Tate has been in the MMA world for a while and has the titles to show it. She is a former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, a former Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion, and was the VP for One Championship.
The American MMA fighter retired from UFC and MMA in 2016. Last year, however, Tate announced that she’s returning to the sport. She has only had one fight since then in July 2021 against Marion Reneau, which she won.
You can find her Instagram profile here.
Alexa Grasso
- Nickname: N/A
- Age: 28 years
- Career Record: 14-3-0
- Years Active: 2012 – Present
- Country: Mexico
Grasso made her professional debut in the MMA in her native Mexico in 2012, where she displayed exceptional performance and skill and amassed an amateur record of 5-0 in the first 18 months.
She signed with the UFC in 2016 and initially competed in the strawweight division. She moved up the flyweight division after her match against Cláudia Gadelha was cancelled because she weighed 5.5 pounds over the limit.
Her last fight was against Joanne Wood, which she won in the first round.
You can find her Instagram profile here.
Gina Carano
Nickname: Conviction
Age: 39 years
Career Record: 7-1-0
Years Active: 2006 – 2009
Country: United States
Gina Carano is widely regarded as the first female MMA superstar and is often credited for being the driving force behind the women’s MMA division’s popularity.
Carano, alongside Cris Cyborg, was the first female to headline a large MMA event in 2009. She also competed in Strikeforce and EliteXC, where she amassed a 7-1 record.
When she retired from MMA, Carano transitioned to TV. She landed a role in “Haywire,” appeared in “Deadpool” and “Fast & Furious,” and spent two seasons on the set of “The Mandalorian.”
You can find Carano’s Instagram page here.
Tracy Cortez
- Nickname: N/A
- Age: 28 years
- Career Record: 9-1-0
- Years Active: 2017 – Present
- Country: United States
Although her MMA and fighting records or rankings might not be as impressive as others, Tracy Cortez has made a name for herself in the world of MMA and social media.
This hot female UFC fighter has taken part in a couple of interesting fights and rounds over the years and has only recorded one loss in her entire career.
One of her most entertaining bouts took place in 2021 against Justine Kish. Cortez won but was fined 20% of her individual purse for weighting over the limit.
Cortez is currently in a relationship with UFC Featherweight top contender, Brian Ortega, who has, so far, fought for the title twice. He recently tattooed Cortez’s name under his lip as Valentine’s Day surprise for his girlfriend.
Find her Instagram profile here.
Rachael Ostovich
- Nickname: N/A
- Age: 30 years
- Career Record: 4-6-0
- Years Active: 2014 – Present
- Country: United States
Rachael Ostovich started her amateur MMA career in 2010.
In the first three years, The American athlete went undefeated and recorded a total of 6 wins. She made her professional MMA debut a couple of years later in 2014 and went on to join Invicta Fighting Championship.
Ostovich won her first bout in UFC and was scheduled to take on a couple of opponents over the years, however, most deals fell through, for different reasons.
She cancelled the scheduled match against Paige VanZant in 2019 after she sustained serious injuries in a brutal assault by her husband, MMA fighter Arnold Berdon.
You can find her Instagram profile here.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Nickname: Champion
Age: 34 years
Career Record: 27-3
Years Active: 2012 – Present
Country: Poland
Joanna Jedrzejczyk got her nickname the “Champion” because few could pronounce her actual surname and since she was so dominant in the strawweight division, commentators and the MMA audience worldwide started calling her Joanna Champion.
Jedrzejczyk joined MMA and UFC as an accomplished Muay Thai and kickboxing fighter. She has won 4 IFMA European Championships, and six IFMA world medals, and has won over 60 matches in her kickboxing career, as well as titles including WBKF Championship, WKN World Championship, WMC Championship, and WKF European Championship.
Jedrzejczyk signed with UFC in 2014 and the next year, she became the first female European UFC champion and the first UFC-title holder from Poland.
You can find her Instagram profile here.
Amanda Ribas
- Nickname: N/A
- Age: 28 years
- Career Record: 11-2-0
- Years Active: 2014 – Present
- Country: Brazil
Amanda Ribas is a hot female UFC fighter and one of the fastest rising stars in the MMA today.
She is both a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo black belt, which makes Ribas one of the most exciting fighters to watch inside the UFC women’s strawweight division. Ribas works closely with her father, who is also her head coach and her biggest supporter. He got a tattoo of her first UFC submission win.
She started her UFC career in 2014 in Brazil, after winning the IMMAF World Championship in the Women’s flyweight division. Ribas had a record of 6-1 before she signed with UFC and since then, she’s only added one loss to her record in total.
Her next match is scheduled to take place at UFC Fight Night 209 on May 14, 2022, against Katlyn Chookagian.
You can find her Instagram here.
Bottom Line
The hottest UFC female fighters are drawing worldwide attention and not just because of their beauty. Competing in sports like MMA, one of the most brutal in the world, requires discipline, mental toughness, and above all else– unedifying skill and an unforgettable fighting style.
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