Are you wondering whether the UFC women’s featherweight division has been scrapped?
In this article, we answer that question and explain why the UFC has taken this measure, as well as list the full UFC women’s featherweight fight history and a complete list of fighters.
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UFC Women’s Featherweight Fights History (2017-2023)
Since its introduction in February 2017 to accommodate Cris Cyborg, the UFC women’s featherweight division has only had 27 fights.
Some sources claim there have been 29 UFC women’s featherweight fights, but 2 of those fights were catchweights due to weight misses.
Here’s a timeline of those fights:
1. Germaine de Randamie vs. Holly Holm (February 11, 2017 – UFC 208)
Germaine de Randamie won the 5-round fight via unanimous decision.
However, she turned down a title defense against Cris Cyborg and was stripped of her title.
She moved back to bantamweight and never again competed as a featherweight.
2. Cristiane Justino (Cyborg) vs. Tonya Evinger (July 29, 2017 – UFC 214)
Cyborg won the title fight via 3rd round TKO (knees).
3. Cristiane Justino (Cyborg) vs. Holly Holm (December 30, 2017 – UFC 219)
In her first title defense, Cyborg won the 5-round fight via unanimous decision.
4. Cristiane Justino (Cyborg) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (March 3, 2018 – UFC 222)
In her second title defense, Cyborg won via TKO (punches) in round 1.
5. Holly Holm vs. Megan Anderson (June 9, 2018 – UFC 225)
Holly Holm won via unanimous decision.
6. Leah Letson vs. Julija Stoliarenko (November 30, 2018 – TUF 28 Finale)
Leah Letson won via split decision.
7. Macy Chiasson vs. Pannie Kianzad (November 30, 2018 – TUF 28 Finale)
Macy Chiasson won via submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in round 2.
8. Cristiane Justino (Cyborg) vs. Amanda Nunes (December 29, 2018 – UFC 232)
Amanda Nunes won the featherweight title, becoming the first woman to hold UFC titles in two weight classes simultaneously.
9. Megan Anderson vs. Cat Zingano (December 29, 2018 – UFC 232)
Megan Anderson won via TKO (Eye Injury) in round 1.
10. Felicia Spencer vs. Megan Anderson (May 18, 2019 – UFC Fight Night 152)
Felicia Spencer won via submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in round 1.
11. Megan Anderson vs. Zarah Fairn (October 5, 2019 – UFC 243)
Megan Anderson won via submission (Triangle Choke) in round 1.
12. Cristiane Justino (Cyborg) vs. Felicia Spencer (July 27, 2019 – UFC 240)
Cyborg won the fight via unanimous decision. This was her final UFC fight before moving to Bellator.
13. Felicia Spencer vs. Zarah Fairn (February 29, 2020 – UFC Fight Night 169)
Felicia Spencer won via TKO (Elbows and Punches) in round 1.
14. Megan Anderson vs. Norma Dumont (February 29, 2020 – UFC Fight Night 169)
Megan Anderson won via KO (punch) in round 1.
15. Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer (June 6, 2020 – UFC 250)
In her first featherweight title defense, Amanda Nunes won via unanimous decision.
16. Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson (March 6, 2021 – UFC 259)
In her second featherweight title defense, Amanda won via submission (triangle armbar) in round 1.
17. Norma Dumont vs. Felicia Spencer (May 22, 2021 – UFC Fight Night 188)
Norma Dumont won via split decision.
18. Felicia Spencer vs. Leah Letson (November 13, 2021 – UFC Fight Night 197)
Felicia Spencer won via TKO (Elbows and Punches) in round 3.
19. Norma Dumont vs. Aspen Ladd (October 16, 2021 – UFC Fight Night 195)
Norma Dumont won via unanimous decision.
20. Raquel Pennington vs. Macy Chiasson (December 18, 2021 – UFC Fight Night 199)
Raquel Pennington won via submission (Guillotine Choke) in round 2.
21. Ramona Pascual vs. Josiane Nunes (February 26, 2022 – UFC Fight Night 202)
Josiane Nunes won via unanimous decision.
22. Joselyne Edwards vs. Ramona Pascual (June 12, 2022 – UFC 275)
Joselyne Edwards won via unanimous decision.
23. Ailin Perez vs. Stephanie Egger (September 3, 2022 – UFC Fight Night 209)
Stephanie Egger won via submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in round 2.
24. Norma Dumont vs. Danyelle Wolf (September 10, 2022 – UFC 279)
Norma Dumont won via unanimous decision.
25. Zarah Fairn vs. Josiane Nunes (January 21, 2023 – UFC 283)
Josiane Nunes won via unanimous decision.
26. Norma Dumont vs. Karol Rosa (April 22, 2023 – UFC Fight Night 222)
Norma Dumont won via unanimous decision.
27. Norma Dumont vs. Chelsea Chandler (July 15, 2023 – UFC On ESPN 49)
Norma Dumont won via unanimous decision.
UFC Women’s Featherweight Fighters: Full List & Records
In total, there have been 25 fighters in the UFC women’s featherweight division.
In alphabetical order, they are:
- Ailin Perez (0-1)
- Amanda Nunes (3-0)
- Aspen Ladd (0-1)
- Cat Zingano (0-1)
- Chelsea Chandler (0-1)
- Cristiane Justino (4-1)
- Danyelle Wolf (0-1)
- Felicia Spencer (3-3)
- Germaine de Randamie (0-1)
- Holly Holm (1-2)
- Joselyne Edwards (1-0)
- Josiane Nunes (2-0)
- Julija Stoliarenko (0-1)
- Karol Rosa (0-1)
- Leah Letson (1-1)
- Macy Chiasson (1-1)
- Megan Anderson (3-3)
- Norma Dumont (5-1)
- Pannie Kianzad (0-1)
- Ramona Pascual (0-2)
- Raquel Pennington (1-0)
- Stephanie Egger (1-0)
- Tonya Evinger (0-1)
- Yana Kunitskaya (0-1)
- Zarah Fairn (0-3)
What Happened to the UFC Women’s Featherweight Division?
The UFC women’s featherweight division was scrapped in September 2023. The UFC has struggled to find talented fighters for the division since its introduction in February 2017.
In the 6 years that the UFC women’s featherweight division was active, it never had a full top 15 ranking and it only had 27 fights.
The nail in the coffin for the division was after UFC 289, when the reigning featherweight champion, Amanda Nunes, easily defeated Irene Aldana and decided to retire.
The UFC women’s featherweight division was essentially created for Cyborg, as she was huge and massively struggled making the 135 lb bantamweight limit.
Cyborg had 1 more UFC featherweight fight in June 2019, a win against Felicia Spencer at UFC 240, before leaving for Bellator.
With Cris Cyborg gone, the competition to rival Amanda Nunes was minimal – effectively rendering the women’s featherweight division dead.
Amanda Nunes went on to defend her featherweight crown twice, easily defeating Felicia Spencer and Megan Anderson at UFC 250 and UFC 259.
A handful of meaningless fights have been fought in the UFC women’s featherweight division since, with the last meaningful fight being Nunes’ second and last title defense on March 6, 2021.
The last fight in the UFC women’s featherweight division was between Norma Dumont (W) and Chelsea Chandler on July 15, 2023, at UFC On ESPN 49.
As of September 2023, there’s no longer a women’s featherweight ranking.
