10 Greatest Female Fighters In MMA History

2. Cris Cyborg

cris cyborg
Jeff Chiu/AP/Press Association Images

Cristiane Justino Venancio, better known as Cris Cyborg, is the greatest female featherweight of all time. Cyborg rose to prominence following her 2009 TKO victory over Gina Carano and went on to establish herself as one of the sport's most dominant fighters.

After losing her pro debut, the featherweight star would go on to enjoy a 20 fight win streak and was undefeated from November of 2005 until March of 2018. Besides Gina Carano, the former UFC Women's Featherweight Champ has also bested Holly Holm, Marloes Coenen (twice), and Tonya Evinger.

The major knock on Cyborg is that she tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug called stanozolol in 2011, following her fight with Hiroko Yamanaka. There was also an issue with USADA in 2016, but Cyborg eventually cleared her name. However, outside of one incident, she hasn't had any PED issues following any of her other victories.

Up until her recent loss to Amanda Nunes, Cyborg was the most feared women in mixed martial arts for roughly a decade.

In this post: 
Cris Cyborg
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

From 1999-2003 Jacques performed on the Florida independent pro wrestling circuit. He also has an amateur wrestling background and currently holds a certification in Krav Maga. Jacques graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2003, with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Follow him on twitter @goodeals79.