Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Women’s Atomweight

1. Ayaka Hamasaki (14-2)

Though she has enjoyed a distinguished career as a strawweight, Hamasaki would surely love to forget her return to 115 pounds, as the Invicta atomweight champion was torn apart by Brazilian Livia Renata Souza in 101 seconds in March. What better way to forget such a loss than to go back and defend the crown of the division you rule? Unfortunately for the 35-year-old Japanese fighter, her next title defense still figures to come against Jinh Yu Frey, who was soundly besting Hamasaki in their September 2016 Invicta title fight until the ringside physician halted the challenger on a cut.

2. Jinh Yu Frey (6-2)

Frey has been on the receiving end of some raw deals through little fault of her own. She was beating up Invicta titleholder and pound-for-pound entrant Ayaka Hamasaki in September 2016 -- until she was stopped on a cut. Six months later, she saw her fight with then-undefeated Janaisa Morandin fall apart due to the Brazilian’s botched weight cut. Nonetheless, Frey picked up a unanimous decision over Ashley Cummins in July and now has the chance to make Christmas come early. The half-Korean will head to Seoul to challenge Seo Hee Ham for Road Fighting Championship’s title on Dec. 23 in a massive atomweight clash.

3. Herica Tiburcio (11-4)

It was nearly two years ago that Ayaka Hamasaki upset Tiburcio to take the Invicta atomweight title. It was over 14 months ago that Tiburcio came back to the Invicta cage, only to be upset by Jinh Yu Frey. Now, the 25-year-old Brazilian has put together back-to-back decision wins over Simona Soukupova and fellow ranker Tessa Simpson and may not be far off from another crack at Invicta’s 105-pound strap.

4. Seo Hee Ham (18-8)

Between facing women a division above her natural weight class and some iffy decisions, Ham deserved better than the 1-3 record she put together under UFC employ. However, the minute “Hamderlei Silva” left the promotion and cut back down to atomweight in her native South Korea, she looked rejuvenated, hammering Japan’s Mina Kurobe to win the Road Fighting Championship title in June. Her first title defense will come in an awesome pairing, as Ham stakes her throne against former Invicta title challenger Jinh Yu Frey at Road Fighting Championship 45 on Dec. 23 in Seoul.

5. Mina Kurobe (10-3)

Title fights have been a mixed bag for Kurobe in 2017. In February, she avenged her November 2015 loss to Naho Sugiyama to claim the Deep Jewels atomweight crown but was then handily beaten up by Seo Hee Ham in a Road Fighting Championship title bout in June. Now, Kurobe gets a reprieve from championship matches, as she takes on 21-year-old South Korean Jeong Eun Park in a non-title affair at Deep 81 Impact on Dec. 23.

6. Naho Sugiyama (12-5)

Sugiyama topped Emi Tomimatsu in June to become Deep Jewels atomweight champion. Unfortunately, in her first title defense on Feb. 25, she could not replicate her November 2015 win over Mina Kurobe, dropping a unanimous decision and the strap. The 39-year-old “Sugi Rock” is now 4-2 in her last six contests.

7. Tessa Simpson (5-2)

Simpson returned from a three-year absence from fighting last year, taking quality wins over Satomi Takano and Simona Soukupova while announcing her arrival as an elite atomweight. However, former Invicta champion Herica Tiburcio slowed her roll in May, earning a split decision over “The Typhoon.” Simpson will look to get back into the win column at Invicta 26 on Dec. 8 in Kansas City, Missouri, where she faces former promotional title challenger Amber Brown.

8. Maria Oliveira Mota (10-2)

Mota broke out in a major way in the opening round of Rizin Fighting Federation’s atomweight women’s tournament in October, destroying American Alyssa Garcia for 15 minutes with her devastating clinch game. Now, the young Parana Vale Tudo product will have to deal with another tough wrestler in her semifinal bout, facing Japanese grappler Kanna Asakura on Dec. 31, with the victor facing the winner of Rena Kubota-Irene Cabello Rivera in the final later in the evening.

9. Kanna Asakura (9-2)

Since debuting as a 16-year-old, Asakura has been forced to learn the fight game on the job and has done an admirable job. She has gone 4-0 in 2017, and the Paraestra Matsudo product has looked better and better with each outing. Now in the semifinals of Rizin’s women’s atomweight grand prix on Dec. 31, she will face the most dangerous opponent of her career when she tangles with upstart Brazilian striker Maria Oliveira Mota, with a spot in the finals on the line.

10. Rena Kubota (5-0)

From the moment Rizin snatched up Kubota two years ago, it has been obvious that the Japanese outfit has viewed the Shoot Boxing queen as its potential poster girl. On Dec. 31, she can actualize those expectations by winning two fights in one night and taking the promotion’s 2017 women’s atomweight grand prix crown. Owing to her preferential status, Kubota will also get the most advantageous semifinal round pairing possible when she faces Spain’s Irene Cabello Rivera.

Other Contenders: Ashley Cummins, Julia Jones, Lisbeth Lopez Silva, Satomi Takano, Emi Tomimatsu.