10. Addition Of The Strawweight Division By The UFC
Without question one of the best moves of the year by the UFC, the addition of the strawweight women's division proves that women fighters in the UFC are here to stay. And not only did the UFC add the division, which features fighters weighing in at 115lbs, they dedicated an entire season of The Ultimate Fighter to it, crowning their inaugural strawweight champion at the end of TUF 20. That champion turned out to be Carla Esparza, the former Invicta strawweight champion, and a favourite to win the show. As part of the move, the UFC brought in most of Invicta's top strawweights, making Esparza just one of several already established names looking to break into stardom in the UFC. Rose Namajunas, the season's runner up, Felice Herrig, and Teccia Torres are some of the others who broke out during the season, while Paige Van Zant, too young to join the cast of the Ultimate Fighter, has broken out in her own right.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
