Fighters to Watch 2022: Strawweights
Kicking off Keyboard Kimura's annual multi-part series with a look at the names to know and follow in the 115-pound weight class
If you ever wanted to know who I am as a fan and a writer that covers this sport, this series is the best representation of those things.
Over the next nine days, I will identify over 250 fighters to watch across the various UFC weight classes in the coming year, including every titleholder, dozens of contenders, and scores of emerging talents and impressive prospects that pique my interest. Some will flourish, others will founder, and there will be others still that didn’t make the list in their respective weight class that enjoy big moments in the coming 364 days.
But I write this series each year because this is what I love about this sport and how I approach it as both a fan and a writer — by taking the long view, thinking about what could happen three weeks, three months, and three years down the road, and trying to be prepared for as many of the twists and turns that are sure to come.
So here we go.
STRAWWEIGHT
CHAMPION: ROSE NAMAJUNAS
The 29-year-old returned to the top of the division in 2021, reclaiming the title with a first-round knockout win in April and retaining the strap with a unanimous decision victory over Zhang Weili in their November rematch.
Namajunas is an excellent technical fighter and she’s worked diligently to tighten up the pieces of her game that were a little loose in the early going. She’s not as aggressive on the ground as she once was, valuing positions over submissions much more, understanding the importance of being able to control the action and dictate the terms of engagement.
What will always been interesting to me about Namajunas is her mindset and approach, as there have been times where she hasn’t seemed all the keen on fighting, and others where she’s muttering “I’m the Best!” to herself repeatedly before going out and quickly proving that to be true. She seems to have a found a balance between those two sides, and if that focus and drive remain in place, there is no reason to think “Thug Rose” won’t continue to deliver compelling performances at the top of the division throughout the coming year.
DIANA BELBITA (above): I’m including Belbita because she’s young and just won her strawweight debut in 2021, outworking Hannah Goldy to earn a unanimous decision victory. She’s shown glimpses in the past and it feels wrong to suggest a 25-year-old couldn’t keep figuring things out more and more now that she’s in the right weight class and working with a quality group of coaches and training partners.
ARIANE CARNELOSSI: “Sorriso” mauled her way to two victories in 2021 and feels like a bit of a late bloomer to me — someone that only figured out how to play to her strengths in the last year or two. That sounds weird to say of someone that debuted in 2014, but you can get by in the minor leagues by simply being stronger and tougher, and I just want to make sure Carnelossi doesn’t cobble together a couple more wins to become a person of interest in this division.
MONTSERRAT CONEJO: the tattooed Mexican is a specialist, and there is a definite ceiling on how far she can take things operating that way in 2022, but she’s a good enough grappler that she’s going to be a pain in the ass for more than a few opponents going forward. Yes, she got lit up in her sophomore appearance, but she also dominated Cheyanne Vlismas earlier in the year, so since I’m including Vlismas, I’m including Conejo.
MACKENZIE DERN: last year was a growth year and learning year for Dern, who dominated Nina Nunes, but then got handled by Marina Rodriguez in her first main event assignment. She’s outstanding on the ground, but gets real loose and predictable with her striking when she tires, which is going to be problematic if she hopes to remain in the title chase. Committing to improved conditioning, tightening up her boxing fundamentals, and working on entries should be the priority for Dern because she has the kind of world-class grappling that could make a her a champion even with average abilities everywhere else.
CARLA ESPARZA: the inaugural strawweight champion is currently next in line for a title shot, and enters off her most dominant performance in years. A lot has changed since “The Cookie Monster” first faced and defeated Namajunas at the TUF 20 Finale to claim UFC gold, but the 34-year-old remains a relentless grinder, and if she commits to attacking from top position the way she did last time out against Yan Xiaonan, she could become a two-time champion in 2022.
LOOPY GODINEZ (above): Godinez went 2-2 in 2021, with her losses coming by split decision in an ultra-competitive, hard-to-score fight, and in a short-notice decision loss up in weight. The 28-year-old wrestler is tough as nails, genuinely likes to fight, and profiles (at least to me) as the more refined, more complete, higher end version of Conejo, brandishing the same pain in the ass potential with a much higher upside.
ANGELA HILL: I genuinely feel for Hill, who is constantly in close battles and frequently lands on the wrong side of the results. She turns 37 in 11 days and despite whatever arguments you want to make about which split decisions should have gone her way, it feels safe to say she’s topped out as a middle-of-the-rankings, give’m hell tough out who should continue to thrive in that roll in 2022.
VIRNA JANDIROBA: the 33-year-old Brazilian went 1-1 for the second straight year, beginning 2021 with an impressive win over Kanako Murata before losing a decision against Amanda Ribas in October. The former Invicta FC champ has settled into a position just outside the elite class in the 115-pound weight class, and feels capable of giving anyone from No. 6 in the rankings down a run for their money inside the Octagon.
JOANNA JEDRZEJCZYK: the former champion hasn’t fought since her instant classic with Zhang Weili in March 2020, and is 2-4 in her last six fights, which makes here a massive wild card in the division she once ruled. She’s still a fantastic talent and one of the more technical strikers in the division, but after nearly two years away and now closing in on 35, it’s fair to wonder what Jedrzejczyk has left in the tank and if we’ll even see her compete in 2022?
AMANDA LEMOS: undeniably the breakout fighter in the division in 2021, Lemos enters this year on a five-fight winning streak and closing in on title contention. Her power has proven to be a difference-maker, and the more high-level experience she garners, there is real possibility that the rest of her game will rise, making her a legitimate threat towards the top of the division.
LOMA LOOKBOONMEE: despite being a little more than two years and five fights into her UFC career, Lookboonmee remains a long-term prospect for me as she continues to adapt her skills to competing in the Octagon, shoring up the glaring holes that exist in her game. That being said, she only turns 26 in a couple weeks, has an excellent foundation to build from and strong coaching, plus she’s had some success already, so the opportunity is there for her to grow into a consistent mid-pack talent and possibly more in the coming years.
CORY MCKENNA: like Hansen, whom she edged out in her promotional debut, McKenna spent the whole of 2021 on the sidelines. Still just 22, the first Welsh woman to compete in the UFC has a good base, trains with a team that a rich history of elevating prospects to the contender ranks (Team Alpha Male), and will only continue to develop and grow as she gets older and garners more experience. If she can stay healthy and active, she could have a big year in 2022.
KANAKO MURATA: Murata suffered a dislocated elbow in her lone appearance of 2021 against Jandiroba, but should be back with designs on working up the rankings in 2022. Her grappling ability gives her an outstanding base in a division where dominant wrestling and control abilities can carry you into the Top 15, but what I’m interested to see is if she can develop her striking enough to where it serves as a compliment to her grappler and allows her to climb beyond the lower-third in the rankings.
NINA NUNES: Nunes returned for the first time in nearly two years in April, only to be quickly submitted by Dern. She withdrew from a December engagement with Lemos for undisclosed reasons, and has now lost back-to-back contests dating back to her pre-pregnancy days. My inclination is to say that her best days are behind her, but the last time Nunes lost consecutive outings, she then rattled off four straight wins to climb higher in the rankings than ever before. Her first appearance of 2022 will be really telling.
JESSICA PENNE (above): we didn’t spend enough time talking about Penne’s impressive return to action in 2021, when the former title challenger returned after a four-year hiatus to register a split decision win over Godinez and a first-round submission finish over Karolina Kowalkiewicz. The soon-to-be 39-year-old showed she still has plenty left in the tank and a drive to compete, and it will be genuinely fascinating to see if where the veteran can take things in the year ahead.
LUANA PINHEIRO: the Brazilian DWCS graduate debuted opposite Randa Markos and won by DQ after getting kicked in the face while down. She was controlling the action, but her performance was cut short. She beat Sam Hughes without too much trouble in her sophomore appearance, but slowed down the stretch, so right now, the truth is that Pinheiro is still a work-in-progress and a question mark, but one with genuine upside and a terrific base to build from.
AMANDA RIBAS: Ribas bounced back from a second-round stoppage loss to Marina Rodriguez in January with a quality decision win over Jandiroba at the end of October. It was a patient, professional win that showed growth for the effervescent rising star, who remains one of the top up-and-coming talents in the division. This next year will be a pivotal one in her career trajectory, and it will be interesting to see where she takes it.
MARINA RODRIGUEZ: three fights, three wins, and two bonuses carried Rodriguez into contention in 2021, with another marquee fight on the horizon in the first quarter of this year. Her striking is sharp and technical, her conditioning is on point, and she’s continually shown quality takedown defence and an ability to work effectively when she does get taken down. Rodriguez is a championship threat in 2022.
TATIANA SUAREZ: the former Olympic hopeful and Ultimate Fighter winner is 8-0 as a pro and was on track to challenge for championship gold before injuries derailed her over the last two years. She was scheduled to return in September, but forced out again, so the biggest key for 2022 is to get her back in the Octagon and figure out where she fits after so much time on the sidelines.
TECIA TORRES: Torres only fought once in 2021, pushing her winning streak to three with a unanimous decision win over Hill in a classic stick-and-move, “Tiny Tornado” type performance. After having her position in the division questioned during her two-year, four-fight slide, Torres has steadied herself and cemented her place in the rankings, where she remains the established veteran gatekeeper to the upper class.
BRIANNA VAN BUREN: “The Bull” was on the rise through her promotional debut, but stumbled in a “too much, too fast” pairing with Torres in her lone 2020 appearance. She was out for all of 2021, but at 28, remains an intriguing prospect to track in the division, even if she’s probably better suited for a career at atomweight.
POLYANA VIANA: Viana earned a second straight first-round submission win in her lone 2021 appearance, catching Mallory Martin in an armbar in February. She’s now clear of the three-fight slide that followed her debut win, which makes it feel like Viana has basically re-set things to where this year can be the start of a new evaluation point for her career.
CHEYANNE VLISMAS: now back home in Las Vegas, Vlismas lost her debut, but earned consecutive victories after that, knocking out Gloria de Paula with a memorable kick to the face before grinding out a good win over Mallory Martin at the start of December. She’s tenacious, aggressive on the feet, and wants to in the mud, which should serve as a quality base to build from. There are still some holes, but if Vlismas can address those issues, she could be a real interesting fighter to watch going forward.
MICHELLE WATERSON: the 35-year-old veteran remains a fixture in the Top 10, but this year feels like a potentially pivotal one for Waterson, who dropped her lone appearance of 2021. She has the ability to be that “mid-level boss” in the strawweight ranks, but the younger pack is closing in quickly, so it will be interesting to see how she deals with her first assignment of the year against Ribas in March.
YAN XIAONAN: all be honest — I don’t have a real sense of where Yan fits in the division right now, as her wins haven’t aged all that well and her loss to Esparza in 2021 was so lopsided that it’s hard to pinpoint her position. She’s been booked into a marquee fight with Rodriguez in Q1 that will answer some of those questions and provide clarity as to where the 32-year-old Chinese talent stands in the 115-pound ranks.
JINH YU FREY: the former Invicta FC atomweight champ dropped her first two UFC appearances and it honestly felt like the end was near, but since then, Frey has steadied herself with consecutive decision wins in 2021. She’s a powerful grinder with a great camp behind her, and while a championship run is unlikely, a role as a tenacious veteran test for the emerging set is a perfect role for the Fortis MMA representative going forward.
ZHANG WEILI: after rattling off 21 straight victories, Zhang enters 2022 on a two-fight slide, having dropped a pair of championship fights to Rose Namajunas. She is unquestionably one of the top talents in the division, but this coming year has to be a re-set for the former champion, with efforts and performances that remind everyone of her championship pedigree and elite skill.
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment in the 2022 Fighters to Watch series, focused on the flyweight divisions.