We’re officially past the midway point of the 2024 calendar year, and the MMA world is plenty busy.
The UFC is preparing for its next international fight card, UFC 304, in England. The PFL playoffs kick off in August and Bellator has two title fights scheduled for September.
And yet, there are still plenty of questions that need answering. When will Conor McGregor, Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou finally return to the cage? Which fighters are poised to be the next superstars in the sport? What areas of improvement could the sport tackle for future growth and opportunity?
To assess the MMA landscape summer and what lies ahead, ESPN polled 18 fighters, coaches and managers to determine the sport’s best fighters, potential rule changes and identify who is most overrated and underrated. ESPN writers Andreas Hale, Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim reviewed the results and attempt to make sense of the voting and what the outlook means for the sport.
Who is the best women’s MMA fighter right now?
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Alexa Grasso keeps flyweight belt after split draw
Alexa Grasso retains her flyweight title after a split draw with former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.
Hale: The number of potential suitors for the best women’s MMA fighter has never been this high….
