Five best female MMA fighters in the world right now, featuring Shevchenko and Cyborg
Khel Now published on August 24, 2026 a feature naming Valentina Shevchenko, Cris Cyborg, Kayla Harrison, Zhang Weili and Tatiana Suarez as the five best female MMA fighters in the world right now. The list is built around recent title fights, records and career-defining performances across multiple weight classes.
The piece opens by arguing that women’s MMA is deeper and more competitive than ever, with a small group of athletes separating themselves through dominance and elite skill sets. It frames the selection around both long-running champions and fighters on redemption arcs, citing Shevchenko’s flyweight reign and Tatiana Suarez’s recent run as primary examples. The list spans promotions and weight divisions to reflect form, titles and recent results.
Valentina Shevchenko is identified as the UFC flyweight champion after reasserting her position with a commanding unanimous decision win over two-division threat Zhang Weili at UFC 322 in November 2025. The article credits her combination of Muay Thai striking, elite grappling defence and fight IQ as the foundation of her continued success. It also notes that she is approaching her late 30s while still appearing a step ahead of most challengers.
Cris Cyborg, 41, is presented as the PFL women’s featherweight champion after defeating Ketlen Vieira via unanimous decision at PFL Tampa in August 2026 to become the first woman in MMA history to reach 30 career wins, pushing her record to 30-2 (1 NC). The feature records that Cyborg has won ten fights in a row and has not lost since Amanda Nunes knocked her out in 2018. It lists her past titles across Strikeforce, Invicta FC, the UFC and Bellator and states she is not ready to rule out more fights.
Kayla Harrison is described as a two-time Olympic judo gold medallist who has translated that grappling pedigree into UFC success, claiming the UFC women’s bantamweight title at UFC 316 in June 2025 by submitting Julianna Pena with a kimura. The article records her professional record as 19-1 and notes a blockbuster title defence against Amanda Nunes was lined up for early 2026 but was postponed after Harrison underwent neck surgery. It adds that, once healthy, that superfight remains one of the most anticipated matchups in women’s MMA.
Zhang Weili is listed as a two-time UFC strawweight champion with a 26-4 record, recognised for ferocious volume striking and toughness. The piece recounts that after a lengthy, dominant second title reign at 115 pounds she moved up to challenge Shevchenko for flyweight gold at UFC 322 but came up short via decision. It further notes that her strawweight belt is now vacant and was won by Mackenzie Dern, and that discussion has begun about a possible return to 115 pounds to reclaim her old throne.
Tatiana Suarez is profiled for a wrestling-heavy style that made her one of the most feared grapplers in the sport, with her long unbeaten streak ending against Zhang Weili at UFC 312 in February 2025. The article records her subsequent results: outpointing Amanda Lemos and submitting Lupita Godinez with a rear-naked choke at UFC 327 in April 2026, and lists her record as now 12-1. It concludes that Suarez remains firmly in the strawweight title picture and could be next in line for another crack at gold.
The feature ties its rankings to current title situations and recent outcomes: Shevchenko holds the UFC flyweight title, Cyborg is the PFL women’s featherweight champion, Kayla Harrison holds the UFC bantamweight crown but had a planned defence postponed after neck surgery, Mackenzie Dern now holds the vacant strawweight belt, and Tatiana Suarez remains a contender in the strawweight division.