Female fighters are not just providing some of the best contests in MMA, the sport also features females who stand out due to their indomitable spirits and winning attitudes. Let’s take a look at just some of the exceptional female MMA fighters and how they are attracting new fans to the sport.
World-famous fans
Molly McCann, whose nickname is Meatball, is one of the most popular figures on the MMA circuit and has even won over the heart of Dwayne The Rock Johnson after she credited his ‘people’s elbow’ move as being the reason behind two recent victories. The former professional wrestler responded in kind, backing the 32-year-old and granting her the honor of using the move whenever she wanted.
She has also won over fans for her forthright criticism of the UK government as she encouraged the crowd to send a message to the Conservative Party after emerging victorious at UFC London.
Other MMA fighters impress with their technical ability, for example, Tabatha ‘Baby Shark’ Ricci, hails from Brazil and is a black belt in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo. She arrived at UFC via Japan, where she took part in intensive training in the aforementioned disciplines. She fought in the LFA, winning all three of her fights, and has an MMA record of seven wins from eight fights.
The exploits of MMA fighters such as McCann and Ricci are creating valuable exposure for female MMA, which continues to grow in popularity. This is also reflected in the most popular sports betting sites offering odds on MMA bouts, which gives fans the opportunity to become more engaged with the sport. Ricci will face US fighter Jessica Penne at UFC Fight Night 211 and is priced at -175 with BetMGM to emerge victorious. McCann is set to do battle with US MMA fighter Erin Blanchfield at UFC 281, which will be held at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2022, and fans will be eagerly awaiting the odds on this particular fight.
McCann has also forged a special companionship with fellow MMA fighter Paddy Pimblett, known as Paddy the Baddy. After the rapper Drake won a huge bet when he backed the two Liverpudlians to win recently, Pimblett, who fights in the lightweight division of UFC, cheekily asked the popular hip-hop artist to present him and McCann with a Rolex each as a reward and the Canadian rapper was happy to oblige.
Demonstrating fighting spirit
The sport also features female fighters who have won over fans due to their fighting spirit. The Milwaukee-born Rose Namajunas is a black belt in taekwondo and karate and a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and these martial arts have stood her in good stead throughout her career. The 30-year-old, known as Thug, became the first UFC fighter to win back a championship title when she defeated Weili Zhang to regain the strawweight title at UFC 261. Namajunas also has a respectable fourth-place ranking in the current pound-for-pound rankings for female MMA fighters.
The Brazilian MMA fighter Amanda Nunes, who is the reigning UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion and viewed as the best female MMA fighter in the history of the sport, really lives up to her nickname of the Lioness. The 34-year-old has a string of UFC records to her name including the longest combined title reign in UFC history at 3336 days, the first woman to win two UFC titles and simultaneously hold them, while her 12 consecutive victories in UFC is a record amongst female MMA fighters. Nunes is also the fighter to beat as she currently holds both the bantamweight and featherweight women’s titles.
The larger-than-life female fighters of MMA are not only changing the perception of the sport but are also providing inspiration to the next generation of female combatants. The stories behind their battles to become the best in the sport are a source of fascination for the public and are helping to attract new fans to the sport. You can place a bet on your favorite women fighters at powerplay.net