The UFC seems to be in one of the most brutal crises of all time. Fight Matrix records 525 total fights in 2025. Of that, the women had been featured in fewer than 100 of them. The gap between the men’s and women’s categories isn’t a new narrative, with only 4 female divisions compared to 8 for males. But looks like 2025 has hit rock bottom.

Valentina Shevchenko and Mackenzie Dern continued to bring the hype and the fervour in the women’s big nights. But besides the marquee names, female representation has struggled to gain traction this year.

Decreasing numbers in the women’s divisions

Jed I Goodman posted an interesting yet heartwrenching stat, taking to X. “There are four UFC women’s bouts left on the schedule for this year. That would bring the total to 80- the fewest in a year since 2018,” the MMA analyst and former film producer wrote.

Three of the four remaining fights will take place at the UFC Fight Night event on December 13th at the UFC Apex Arena in Las Vegas. And one fight will be taking place a week before at the UFC 323 event.

While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason for the low female fights, there are several dynamics driving this shift. A smaller roster in comparison with the men’s division is obviously directly correlated with the number of fights the female category gets. But there’s a deeper underlying reason sabotaging the future of female UFC. It is the idea that male fights sell better.

The UFC’s business model has hurt the female MMA scene more than its male counterparts. After ESPN acquired UFC streaming rights, the promotion was guaranteed $150 million as long as it met event quotas, with additional pay-per-view bonuses. In simple words, the promotion’s focus shifted from quality matchups to volume.

In an effort to maximise profits, UFC focused on fights that could create the most buzz, and the male industry dominates that. Moreover, the promotion has stepped down from its focus on creating stars to curb the fighters’ bargaining powers. When that translates to the women’s divisions, it inevitably means lesser representation, since they are often the more obscure facet of the promotion.

“It just feels like UFC is in a season where they’re trying to maximize profits, which is business. That’s what big businesses do. But doing it in an almost shameless manner and at every single turn,” CBS sports analyst Brian Campbell criticised the fight organiser. “I think across the board you’re seeing a more watered-down product.”

Regardless, we have had some pretty jaw-dropping women’s bouts this year.

Valentina Shevchenko and more own UFC 322

UFC 322 was more than just about the former lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, securing the welterweight belt against JDM and surpassing Khabib. One of the night’s most seat-gripping shows was Valentina Shevchenko’s unrelenting striking and grappling ordeal. Stealing the night with a highlight reel of a performance, the undisputed flyweight champion forced the fight against Zhang Weili into a one-sided maestro.

Shevchenko began on the feet, quickly setting up her attacks with a body kick and a storm of powerful punches. After a knee to the gut dragged the fight to the ground, Shevchenko strategically advanced her position on the ground. Although she couldn’t submit Weili, she continued this dominating performance across all five rounds, handing her the shutout with 50-45 scores from all three judges.

The strawweights brought a similar energy, with Mackenzie Dern grabbing the vacant 115-pound title. Dern was closely contested on her grappling, with Virna Jandiroba’s BJJ to match her own. The latter found some success with ground and pound, but Dern ultimately cleared the boards, winning the title via UD, which she dedicated to her little daughter right inside the octagon.

That action warmed the hearts of the eager crowds. But that couldn’t fill the hollow that some cancelled fights left in our hearts. The anticipated show-ender at UFC Vegas, Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber, ended in a cancellation after the latter failed to make weight. Blanchfield was blunt in her response to the situation, quipping that Barber needs to “fix her life.”

Never out of drama, the female division didn’t disappoint us, from the top-notch striking to the nitty-gritty of grappling. What was disappointing, though, was how the fans were robbed of potential women’s fights that could help redefine MMA. Can 2026 make up for this loss?