Rousey’s 2015 dominance and the Holm upset
Ronda Rousey maintained a 12-0 record through much of 2015 before Holly Holm ended her undefeated streak at UFC 193. The era of bantamweight dominance transitioned through Amanda Nunes's TKO victory and led to the current depth in the strawweight division.
Ronda Rousey maintained a 12-0 professional MMA record through much of 2015, having defended her 135-pound title six times in the UFC. In February 2015, she defeated Cat Zingano at UFC 184 in a bout that lasted only 14 seconds. Rousey earned $130,000 for the win, which included $65,000 for the show and $65,000 for the win. Holly Holm earned $50,000 for her victory against Raquel Pennington. The UFC 193 event in Melbourne featured Rousey against Holm, a fight Rousey accepted on 2.5 months of notice. Holm was an undefeated MMA fighter with a 9-0 record and a former professional boxing champion. The weigh-in generated drama when Holm touched Rousey’s face with her fist, leaving Rousey fuming. This loss in November 2015 ended the undefeated streak of the bantamweight champion. The UFC 193 co-main event included Joanna Jedrzejczyk against Valerie Letourneau, the number eight ranked strawweight. Jedrzejczyk had captured her 115-pound title earlier that year. The UFC also increased prices for its 2015 pay-per-view events. The event card included a heavyweight rematch between Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva, where Silva failed a post-fight drug test following a 2013 draw.
Nunes takes the title at UFC 207
Amanda Nunes ended the Rousey era at UFC 207 in December 2016. The bantamweight championship match ended in a TKO in the first round. Rousey earned a $3,000,000 purse for her fight against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207, which tied the record set by Conor McGregor for a non-title bout against Nate Diaz at UFC 202. Nunes received a $100,000 guarantee and a $100,000 win bonus. The Las Vegas event had 18,533 attendees, and the total gate reached $4,750,000. Dominick Cruz earned $350,000 for his defense against Cody Garbrandt, while Garbrandt earned $200,000.
| Fighter | Purse | Win Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Ronda Rousey | $3,000,000 | $0 |
| Amanda Nunes | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Dominick Cruz | $350,000 | $0 |
| Cody Garbrandt | $200,000 | $0 |
Rousey returned to the cage on May 16, 2026, against Gina Carano. Most Valuable Productions worked with Netflix to broadcast this featherweight bout at the Intuit Dome. Rousey earned $2.2 million for the fight, while Carano earned $1.05 million. You should know that the UFC minimum pay remains $12,000 for a show and $12,000 for a win. Will streaming platforms continue to outbid traditional promotions for high-profile female fighters?
The current strawweight rankings
The strawweight division has massive depth in 2026. Zhang Weili holds the number one rank, while Tatiana Suarez is second. Virna Jandiroba is third, Denise Gomes is fourth, and Gillian Robertson is fifth. Loopy Godnez is eighth. Piera Rodriguez is ninth, Yan Xiaonan is tenth, and Mizuki is eleventh. Tabatha Ricci is twelfth, while Amanda Lemos is fifteenth. The division is full of talent. Many fighters in the division are in active status. The rankings come from a voting panel of media members. This panel includes members from outlets like MMA Weekly and Fight Network. They vote on weight-class and pound-for-pound rankings. A fighter must be in active status to be eligible for voting. The champions are not eligible for weight-class voting but can receive pound-for-pound votes. The competition at 115 pounds remains intense among these top fighters.
