MMA fans had themselves a double treat over the past two days. It began on Friday, when the PFL sought to crown its inaugural women’s flyweight champion in Chicago. The next day, the UFC had itself a Canadian bonanza in Edmonton, with two ranked bouts topping a card that also featured a smattering of local talent.
Between both events, a total of six women’s fights were held across two weight classes. Here are three lessons that can be gleaned from them.
Much has been said about the depth, or lack thereof, within the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division. After Alice Pereira addressed the situation last week, the UFC made another commitment to repopulating the pool by signing Smilla Sundell following the Dana White’s Contender Series finale.
It is not as if those already on the roster are not hungry, however. On Saturday, Chelsea Chandler was a significant underdog against Melissa Croden (pictured above), yet she pulled off an upset via kimura as the first round neared its end. That now puts her at two straight wins, both via submission – a nice rebound from the two-fight skid she had carried beforehand.
In a world where both Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison are gone, 135 will unquestionably be the weakest UFC’s women’s division in terms of star power. Still, the likes of Chandler prove that there is hope for a resurgence.
Liz Carmouche had it in the bag on Friday night. Against Jena Bishop, she was a sizable favorite against someone she had knocked out before. After one round, it seemed as if the result would be the same.
It was not. Bishop hung tough and soon imposed her grappling game. Carmouche managed to weather it out and reasserted her striking superiority, only to allow a takedown in the final round and surrender her back again. That swing allowed Bishop to steal the fight and clinch the title.
While Bishop moves on to another rematch, this time against Dakota Ditcheva, Carmouche is left wondering what she was thinking. After all her yapping about whether Ditcheva really wanted to fight her, “Girl-Rilla” is not getting that fight at all. This is easily MMA’s most baffling own goal of 2026, given the stature of the fighter involved and the stakes.
Erin Blanchfield has been a constant presence in the UFC women’s flyweight rankings since signing in 2021. Throughout that time, she has pulled off quality wins over the likes of Rose Namajunas and Taila Santos. Unfortunately, a couple of inopportune losses have served to stifle her momentum.
The second came on Saturday. Already having to deal with a loud Canadian crowd, Blanchfield could not get her game going against Jasmine Jasudavicius. She did recover in the third round, but it proved too little, too late.
Going forward, it is seemingly clear that MK Muay Thai, where Blanchfield trains her striking alongside her friend Fatima Kline, is not the place that can help her. To realize her championship potential, she needs to switch camps – a famous MMA tactic that has served others well.
Next week’s UFC 333 card features one women’s fight – one that was added only recently.
Strawweight prospect Iasmin Lucindo returns from a drug suspension to take on Nicolle Caliari. It is one of the more baffling MMA booking decisions in 2026, given that Lucindo was ranked before being flagged. Perhaps the UFC wants her to shake off the so-called “ring rust” against a beatable opponent before building her back up the hierarchy.
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