Wrestling: Sara McMann
McMann is the most decorated female wrestler in the UFC. At the 2004 Olympics, she became the first American woman to win a silver medal. She bookended that with a silver at the 2003 world championships and bronzes at the 2005 and 2007 worlds. If not for the legendary Kaori Icho, McMann would have a gold or two sprinkled in, as well. All three of McMann’s MMA loses have been against current or future UFC champions.
Kicks: Holly Holm
With one swift left kick, Holm changed the direction of women’s MMA forever. It won her the UFC bantamweight championship and all kinds of “knockout of the year” awards, and it certainly wasn’t a fluke; Holm’s kicks are neck-and-neck with her punches as her most valuable asset inside the octagon. After a fighting career that saw three professional kickboxing fights, Holm won her first seven MMA fights — five of which ended because of Holm’s kicks — to earn her shot in the UFC.
On the next page: Knees and Speed
