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UFC 275 featured some of the most popular female UFC fighters on the roster. The co-main event saw Valentina Shevchenko defeat Taila Santos in a tightly contested split decision. In the fight prior, Weili Zhang defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk via a stunning spinning backfist knockout.
Female fighters have been popular in the UFC for a long time. They first competed in the promotion off the back of Ronda Rousey's immense popularity. While Rousey has now moved on, there remains a wealth of big-name fighters on the roster and many more who are on the way up.
Becoming a popular fighter is not always just about wins and losses, however, the majority of women on this list have gained fame through various big-time moments. Fights that stick to fans' memories and important title performances are typically the best way to gain a following in the sport.
Here are the five active female UFC fighters with the most followers on Instagram.
#5. UFC strawweight Amanda Ribas - 2M followers
While Amanda Ribas is undeniably a very talented fighter, she is yet to compete for a title and is currently ranked No.8 in the strawweight division. She lost in her last fight to Katlyn Chookagian at flyweight.
To start with, much of Ribas's popularity is due to her Brazilian background, as fans fiercely support fighters from their country. On top of that, she has an entertaining fight style that makes her fun to watch. Her likeable personality away from the cage is another contributing factor.
All thos has led to Ribas becoming one of the most popular female fighters of the entire roster. With that being said, her career is now at an interesting point, having unsuccessfully moved up to flyweight. Whether she chooses the 115 lbs or 125 lbs division moving forward, she'll have plenty of support.
#4. Miesha Tate - 2.1M followers
Miesha Tate is a former UFC women's bantamweight champion who is likely one win away from another title shot, this time at flyweight. She was also one-half of the biggest rivalry women's MMA has ever seen as she fought Ronda Rousey on two occasions. These factors explain why she has become so popular.
Tate surprisingly began her UFC career with two straight losses before going on a five-fight winning streak that saw her win bantamweight gold. She's had a lengthy career inside the octagon now and her numerous battles against a number of top stars have seen her become a very popular fighter.
Tate has fought the likes of Ronday Rousey, Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. Should she beat Lauren Murphy in her next bout, she could then face Valentina Shevchenko for the title. As popular as she currently is, it seems as though she could become even more so soon enough.
#3. Holly Holm - 2.4M followers
Miesha Tate may have beaten Holly Holm the only time they fought, but 'The Preacher's Daughter' ranks higher on this list. The main reason for this is that she was able to do what Tate could not and defeat the seemingly invincible Ronda Rousey. That was the biggest moment in women's MMA history.
Holm's shocking head-kick knockout of Rousey made her an instant star. While she lost the title in her next fight, she has fought for the title on three different occasions since. She likely would have been set for another championship opportunity had she not lost a controversial split decision to Ketlen Viera in her most recent bout.
It will now be interesting to see where Holm goes from here. Perhaps a rematch with Viera would allow her to resume the momentum she had been building prior to that fight. She's also expressed interest in returning to boxing one day and the popularity of the likes of Katie Taylor could give her some options in that sport too.
#2. Rose Namajunas - 2.5M followers
Rose Namajunas is yet to show us that she is the biggest female UFC star, especially since her last fight. Instead of defending her title and getting revenge on her old foe Carla Esparza, she surprisingly dropped the title in a truly bizarre fight. Despite that, she remains an incredibly popular fighter.
She has been a big name for the majority of her career, having first fought for the strawweight title back in 2014. While she was unsuccessful on that occasion, she became a massive star when she ended Joanna Jedrzejczyk's historic title reign with a shocking TKO.
Namajunas has since lost the belt, won it back and then lost it again in her most recent bout. While she would likely prefer not to have these ups and downs, fans have still invested heavily in her career. She's always in big-time fights and, at just 29 years of age, could still become a megastar in the sport.
#1. Valentina Shevchenko - 2.6M followers
Valentina Shevchenko is the number one pound-for-pound female fighter in the UFC and as such it should come as no surprise that she topped this list. Whilst Taila Santos came close, she ultimately became just another woman who has tried and failed to end Shevchenko's lengthy reign atop the division.
Shevchenko has been the champion since 2018 and now has seven successful title defenses. This dominance is incredibly rare in the sport of MMA and has understandably led to Shevchenko becoming a huge star internationally. She also speaks multiple languages, meaning she appeals to fans all over the world.
With her most recent opponent likely set for a lengthy spell of inactivity, it will be interesting to see who Shevchenko faces next. As mentioned previously, should Miesha Tate win in her upcoming fight, she could well earn the next title shot. A fight against another big name like Tate could further boost Shevchenko's popularity.
