MMA
Best Female Atomweight Fighters in MMA
In this article, we list the best female atomweight fighters in MMA, such as Stamp Fairtex and Angela Lee, and detail their biggest achievements in the sport.
Angela Lee//Getty Images
The atomweight division in MMA is the smallest weight class in the sport. The weight limit for this division is 105-pounds. This weight class is exclusively open to females only, with the smallest male division being strawweight (115-pounds), though not every MMA organisation has the male strawweight division. For example, the UFC's lowest weight for men is the flyweight division which is 125-pounds.
The atomweight division features plenty of technical and speedy fighters, which is only natural to their decreased weight. Similarly to boxing's smaller weights, the lower weights in MMA also arguably sees better fighters from a technical point of view; they lack natural power so they find other ways to make up for that.
Here is our list of the ten best female atomweight fighters in MMA history…
The UFC has never had an atomweight division. However, with rising stars of the sport such as Stamp Fairtex, and the recent Dana White's Contender Series fighter Julietta Martinez, perhaps this is weight class will be added moving into 2025 and beyond.
10. Mei Yamaguchi
Mei Yamaguchi initially began her MMA career in the lightweight division back in 2007. She didn't make her atomweight debut until 2014. The Japanese fighter is a one-time atomweight champion in the organisation Deep Jewels.
9. Jessica Delboni
Originally a strawweight fighter, Jessica Delboni would begin her career 7-0. Between 2018 and 2020, the Brazilian fluctuated between atomweight and strawweight before eventually settling in the 105-pounds weight class.
Delboni won the Invicta Phoenix Tournament in the atomweight division in 2021. Roughly six months later, she claimed the Invicta atomweight title by defeating Alesha Zappitella over five rounds. However, she would lose that title in 2022.
8. Rena Kubota
With a record of 15-5, including eight wins by knockout, Rena Kubota is proof that with great technique you can generate knockout power in the smallest female division.
Kubota never actually won an atomweight title, but she did finish runner-up in the Rizin Grand Prix.
7. Alyse Anderson
Despite having a record of 6-4, Alyse Anderson has won an atomweight title in her nine-year MMA career, winning the TWC belt back in 2016. In 2021, Anderson featured in the ONE Grand Prix at atomweight though she was defeated in the quarter-final.
6. Denice Zamboanga
Denice Zamboanga emerged as the number one contender in ONE Championships by defeating Jihin Radzuan in her promotional debut. Then, she defeated Mei Yamaguchi to become the next woman in line for a title shot, or so she thought.
Unfortunately for the Filipino fighter, she did not get her title shot at atomweight, and now she fights at strawweight instead.
5. Jinh Yu Frey
Jinh Yu Frey does not have the best looking of records, currently reading 11-10, though this looks worse due to her recent four consecutive losses. Nevertheless, the American fighter has won two belts at atomweight.
Yu Frey's first title came in the SCS in her very first professional bout. She would successfully defend it in her next fight.
After losing in her first bid to win the Invicta title, Jinh Yu Frey would take her second chance, winning the vacant belt in 2018 over Minna Grusander. The two would rematch in their next fight, and Yu Frey prevailed once more. The American never officially lost her belt, however, because she missed weight in her victory over Ashley Cummins, Invicta stripped her of the title in 2020.
4. Ayaka Hamasaki
With an excellent Judo background behind her, Ayaka Hamasaki has had a stellar MMA career. She currently has a record of 25-6, with eleven wins coming by way of submission.
Hamasaki won the Invicta atomweight belt in 2015 against Herica Tiburcio. She then successfully defended her belt twice in the following year before making her strawweight debut. Later, Hamasaki would become the first-ever super-atomweight champion in the RIZIN promotion.
3. Stamp Fairtex
Alyse Anderson lands a kick on Stamp Fairtex//Getty Images
Stamp Fairtex has some of the greatest Muay Thai skills you will ever see from a female fighter. Not only has the Thailand native won the ONE Championship atomweight title in Muay Thai, she has won it in kickboxing, and Fairtex is the current reigning champion in their MMA atomweight division as well.
She is only six years into her MMA career, but given she is only stil 27, Fairtex could go down as one of the greatest female fighters to ever do it.
2. Seo Hee Ham
When you talk about a true female warrior, you think about Seo Hee Ham. She has fought in several top level MMA organisations such as RIZIN, ONE Championships and the UFC.
The South Korean fighter became the first-ever Road FC atomweight champion in 2017, defeating Mina Kurobe. Hee Ham then defended her title twice before moving to RIZIN where she became the super-atomweight champion by defeating Ayaka Hamasaki.
In her most recent fight, she lost to Stamp Fairtex for the vacant ONE Championships atomweight title.
1. Angela Lee
Angela Lee has not fought since 2022 and is partially retired from MMA, but at only 28, you'd think one day she will come back to the cage.
The Canadian-born fighter has an awesome combination of Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and solid wrestling skills. With this mixture of disciplines, she was really able to defeat her opponents in many different ways.
Lee became the first-ever atomweight MMA champion in the ONE promotion in 2016, and she never officially lost her belt, as she racked up five successful title defences. Lee is the longest reigning champion in ONE history (2703 days).
Jake Staniland is a sports writer who excels in covering a wide range of sports: football, combat sports and the NFL - All three subjects are his lifelong passions.
Jake is a boyhood Sheffield United fan, which is often a curse that he thanks his family for. His favourite Blades player ever is Billy Sharp