Women’s MMA has grown from a niche interest into a globally recognized sport, showcasing some of the world’s most talented athletes. This article will explore key milestones and record-breaking achievements in the history of women’s MMA, highlighting the impact of pioneering organizations like UFC, Bellator, and Strikeforce. We’ll also focus on the rise of Canadian women’s MMA with promotions like PAWFC (Pallas Athena Fighting Championship) showcasing how they have contributed to the global recognition of women’s MMA.
While mixed martial arts is primarily a male dominated sport, it does have female athletes. Female competition in Japan includes promotions such as DEEP Jewels. Now defunct promotions that featured female fighters were Valkyrie, and Smackgirl. Professional mixed martial arts organizations in the United States that invite women to compete are industry leader Ultimate Fighting Championship, the all female Invicta Fighting Championships, Resurrection Fighting Alliance, Bellator Fighting Championships, and Legacy Fighting Championship.
In the United States, prior to the success of The Ultimate Fighter reality show that launched mixed martial arts into the mainstream media, there was little major coverage of female competitions. Some early organizations who invited women to compete included, International Fighting Championships, SuperBrawl, King of the Cage, Rage in the Cage, Ring of Combat, Bas Rutten Invitational, and HOOKnSHOOT.
The traditional MMA rules have often been adjusted for female competitions because of safety concerns. In Japan, ReMix prohibited ground-and-pound and featured a 20-second time limit for ground fighting. This rule remained following ReMix's 2001 re-branding as Smackgirl, though the time limit was extended to 30 seconds. Another form of rule differentiation is a change in both weight limits and weight classification. While men are required to wear a groin protector, women are forbidden from doing so.
Top 10 Women's Flyweight Knockouts in UFC History
Early Milestones in Women's MMA
The first documented women’s MMA fight in North America took place in 1995 between Becky Levi and Betty Fagan. The first recorded American female competition was at an IFC 4 between Becky Levi and Betty Fagan on March 28, 1997. This was soon followed by an IFC four women tournament sanctioned by the Louisiana Boxing and Wrestling Commission on September 5, 1997 in Baton Rouge. In 2002, HOOKnSHOOT promoted an all women's card labeled ‘Revolution’. It was headlined by Debi Purcell and Christine Van Fleet.
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Gina Carano, a pioneer in women's MMA.
Key Fights and Turning Points
- Gina Carano vs. Cris Cyborg (2009): This fight, held under the Strikeforce banner, was a turning point for women’s MMA. Strikeforce became the first major promotion in the United States to have held a female fight as the main event on August 15, 2009.
- Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion (2010): Sarah Kaufman became the first Canadian woman to win a major MMA title when she captured the Strikeforce Bantamweight Championship in 2010.
The UFC Era: Ronda Rousey and Beyond
The next step was for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to pick up women's MMA, however UFC President Dana White was resistant. Dana White, who is the president of the UFC stated that he would never allow women to compete in his organization. Although, after observing how many viewers are watching women's fights, he has since acknowledged that female athletes are "very good."
The UFC introduced its first women’s division in 2013, with Ronda Rousey becoming the first female fighter to sign with the UFC. Ronda Rousey was a female fighter who sparked the popularity of women fighters. When she signed with the UFC in 2012, female fighting was not very popular and was not considered a sport for women. Ronda Rousey was able to open many people's eyes and prove Dana White, the president of the UFC very wrong.
Ronda Rousey became the first woman fighter signed to the UFC in November 2012, and was promoted to the division's bantamweight champion. On December 11, 2013 the UFC picked up the contracts of 11 female fighters to fill up their 115-pound division. The Strawweights took part in the 20th season of The Ultimate Fighter, the season winner will be the first UFC women's strawweight champion.
Ronda Rousey, the first female fighter signed to the UFC.
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Key Moments in UFC History
- First Women’s MMA Fight in UFC: The headline bout between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche was the first-ever women's fight in UFC history. The two fought in the newly created 135-pound bantamweight division for the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship.
- Ronda Rousey’s UFC Title Reign (2013-2015): Ronda Rousey became the first UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and defended her title six times.
- First Dual Champion (2018): Amanda Nunes became the first woman in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously (Bantamweight and Featherweight).
UFC Salaries: Henderson, Machida top $1.17 million payroll
The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the California State Athletic Commission.
| Fighter | Payout |
|---|---|
| Lyoto Machida | $200,000 (no win bonus) |
| Urijah Faber | $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus) |
| Robbie Lawler | $105,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) |
| Ronda Rousey | $90,000 (includes $45,000 win bonus) |
| Sam Stout | $52,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus) |
| Court McGee | $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus) |
| Brendan Schaub | $36,000 (includes $18,000 win bonus) |
| Michael Chiesa | $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) |
| Dennis Bermudez | $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) |
| Kenny Robertson | $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) |
| Neil Magny | $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) |
| Nah-Shon Burrell | $12,500 (includes $7,000 win bonus) |
Wage Inequality in Women's MMA
Women fighters needed to be represented and marketed with more equality for a while. Female MMA fighters' earning potential has grown as they gain popularity and recognition. Women are requesting more money from the UFC as more viewers start to watch women's fights.
The average pay for women at the time was $15,000, compared to men's $38,000 per fight, which led to a lot of women being frustrated with their pay. Paige VanZant who is an MMA fighter spoke out about wage inequality in 2019 and said she wanted more money to "keep bleeding and sacrificing for this sport".
During the UFC 241 event, the highest-paid man earned $700,000, while the highest-paid female fighter earned $30,000 according to FINCHANNEL statistics. The top female earner in 2020 was Amanda Nunes, who earned $350,000 plus $100,000 if she won the fight.
The Role of PAWFC and Other Organizations
PAWFC (2021): Pallas Athena Fighting Championship is one of the few organizations globally dedicated exclusively to promoting women’s MMA.
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Think you have what it takes to become a PAWFC fighter? We’re looking for the next world-class contender in women’s MMA to blaze a trail and make a name for themselves in this industry.