Historical Timeline of Female MMA Champions

[zec1234]

For those that just recently started watching WMMA, to show that we had female champions even before UFC acceptance.

Following is the timeline graph that shows Female Champions.

First, this is for higher divisions (125 - 145):

And this is for lower weight divisions ( 115 and 105):

Letters that are used on the timelines are following:
v - captured vacant title (first championship for the organization, or previous champion was stripped of the title)
c - captured belt by fighting current champion
d - defended the belt
"." - dot symbolizes losing championship fight.

Colored line represents reign timeline. Each organization has a different color.

Let me know if you think something is missing.

 

[zec1234]

This is a timeline before 2010.

Before 2009 Female MMA was almost exclusively fought in Japan, with Smackgirls being the biggest Female only organization.

 

[BreadnButter]

So much history.

 

[zec1234]

My analysis of championship fights in each division.

Even though 145 female division started long time ago, the only really interesting period was 2009 -2010.
EliteXC started Female 145 division and when Strikeforce took over, we had some real talent there.
Gina Carano was the first superstar. Unfortunately Cyborg was too much for her.
Marloes Coenen can actually be considered the first champion since she won open weight Remix tournament in 2000


135 female division actually didn't have any championship fights before Strikeforce.
This division is very competitive and orderly.
Champions defend their belt in regular intervals (no big layoffs or title stripping).
Minor belts are in Invicta and Deep.
Rin Makai was Pancrase champ, but didn't really defended the belt.

125 is squeezed by very popular !35 and 115 divisions and there were very few championship fights.

 

[Fork]

man, i miss MIKU.

 

[punky brewster]

Cool, I never knew female MMA existed before the UFC. I totally thought Dana invented it.

 

[zec1234]

man, i miss MIKU.

GFY, you definitely know a few things about female MMA.
Can you check if something is missing on those timelines.

 

[Fork]

GFY, you definitely know a few things about female MMA.
Can you check if something is missing on those timelines.

i'm most familiar with the history of the DEEP womens' belts and they all look good to me.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

For those that just recently started watching WMMA, to show that we had female champions even before UFC acceptance.

Following is the timeline graph that shows Female Champions.

First, this is for higher divisions (125 - 145):

And this is for lower weight divisions ( 115 and 105):

Letters that are used on the timelines are following:
v - captured vacant title (first championship for the organization, or previous champion was stripped of the title)
c - captured belt by fighting current champion
d - defended the belt
"." - dot symbolizes losing championship fight.

Colored line represents reign timeline. Each organization has a different color.

Let me know if you think something is missing.

I always enjoy your stat threads. You are careful and thorough with numbers and information.

 

[TheWolfsHowl]

Timeline of UFC female champions:

Ronda Rousey.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Great thread, but I think the 145 lbs smackgirl title was actually a openweight championship. Also Marloes Coenen won a tournament championship back in 2000 if that counts.

 

[zec1234]

Great thread, but I think the 145 lbs smackgirl title was actually a openweight championship. Also Marloes Coenen won a tournament championship back in 2000 if that counts.

You are right.
I was trying to save some space on that 3rd timeline.
That picture is more readable if it starts with 2004 instead 2000.

So missing title fights are:

• 2000-12-05 , ReMix - World Cup 2000

8 girl tournament final: Marloes Coenen - Megumi Yabushita

• 2002-12-29 , Smackgirl - Japan Cup 2002 Grand Final

title bout: Yuka Tsuji - Mari Kaneko

 

[zec1234]

I always enjoy your stat threads. You are careful and thorough with numbers and information.

Thanks.
I'm just trying to bring some order (by using numbers) to the MMA universe :wink:

BTW, are those pictures readable, or fonts are too small for you guys.
Sometimes I try to put too much on one picture.

 

[NHB7]

Great Stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

[europe1]

Also Marloes Coenen won a tournament championship back in 2000 if that counts.

I belive that was openweight too. Becky Levi fought against Coenen there and she's at 220lb.

There was actually a few 200+ women back in the early 2000's. Becky Levi, Irina Rodina, Reggie Bennett and Svetlana Goundarenko whom was 300+!

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Thanks.
I'm just trying to bring some order (by using numbers) to the MMA universe :wink:

BTW, are those pictures readable, or fonts are too small for you guys.
Sometimes I try to put too much on one picture.

It is a bit compressed, but I like being able to review a lot of information at one glance.

 

[zec1234]

I belive that was openweight too. Becky Levi fought against Coenen there and she's at 220lb.

There was actually a few 200+ women back in the early 2000's. Becky Levi, Irina Rodina, Reggie Bennett and Svetlana Goundarenko whom was 300+!

Yes, first couple of years of WMMA was all open weight (similar like in Male MMA).
It was almost a freak show. Gigantic white females against small, skilled Japanese girls.
Now days you can't find enough big girls to create 145 lb division.

Here is how we see historical development of female divisions:

In the beginning it was all Open Weight (155).
Then in 2002 we separated Female fighters into two divisions: