The UFC is gearing up for a massive 2025 and we are just about a week away from their first PPV of the year which will feature title fights in the lightweight and bantamweight divisions. Every year I like to take a look at the divisional landscape and forecast who I think will be atop the divisions by the end of the calendar year. With that, let’s dive into the female divisions to see who will be champion at the end of the year.
Who will be UFC champion?
Strawweight Prediction: Tatiana Suarez
Starting off hot here with a new champion as I believe that Tatiana Suarez (10-0) will have her crowning moment in 2025. Suarez is scheduled to face current strawweight champion and P4P great Zhang Weili (25-3) next month at UFC 312 in Australia.
For Suarez, competition has never been her biggest opponent. Her biggest opponent has always been her own health. When Suarez is healthy, she’s ran through everyone. However, injuries have been brutal for her and it’s a shame it’s taken her this long to get her shot. Assuming she makes it to the PPV next month, I think she beats Weili and then she retains the title in a rematch later this year.
Flyweight Prediction: Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko (24-4-1) finally got back to where she should be in 2024 and that’s on top of the mountain. Shevchenko lost the flyweight title to Alexa Grasso in March 2023. She was in full control of that fight but a brutal mistake led to her getting submitted. Her and Grasso rematched in September 2023 and Shevchenko was the victim of an inexplicable fifth round score which cost her the title as the two fought to a draw.
They had their trilogy at Noche UFC at The Sphere back in September and this time, Shevchenko left no doubt. She dominated all five rounds to regain the title. Her next challenger is likely Manon Fiorot and following that, it could be Erin Blanchfield. I don’t see either of them beating the champion and I think Shevchenko walks out of 2025 the champion.
Bantamweight Prediction: Amanda Nunes
This is my boldest prediction of all my championship articles. I think that The GOAT will return and Amanda Nunes (23-5) will leave 2025 as the women’s bantamweight champion. So, how do we get there. Well, it starts with the current champion Julianna Pena (11-5).
Pena narrowly beat Raquel Pennington to regain the bantamweight title a few months ago. She is projected to face Kayla Harrison (18-1) for the title at some point in the first six months of 2025. I believe Harrison is going to win that fight. My prediction is that Nunes comes back to face the winner at the end of the year.
Nunes has teased wanting to come back and I think the Lioness will make her octagon return at the end of the year. Whether it’s a megafight with Kayla Harrison or the trilogy with Julianna Pena, I think Nunes returns and reclaims her thrown by the end of the year.