The state of Maine is represented well in the amateur female pound for pound rankings, as they hold down 3 out of the top 4 spots. The clear cut #1 is Young's MMA fighter Glory "The Fury" Watson (6-1). Watson was ready to make the jump to the pro circuit before the big bad boogeyman of Covid-19 entered from stage left. Watson bursted onto the New England MMA scene 2 years ago and strung together 6 consecutive wins, primarily under the New England Fights banner in her home state of Maine. Her lone loss came at the hands of a super tough Cara Greenwell (10-5) who took her the distance and ended up beating Watson by unanimous decision. Regardless of her last result in the cage, Watson is one of the hottest prospects in the female ranks in New England. She's only 25 years old and has an impressive work ethic that has allowed her to improve by leaps and bounds over the last 2 years. She's young, marketable, and has loads of talent. It will be tough for her to find fights out of the gate, but so long as her early professional career is handled properly, Watson has a very clear path to Invicta FC, and eventually the UFC.
Grabbing the #2 slot is fellow Mainer Megan Rosado (4-1). Rosado trains out of Evolution Athletix in Saco, Maine alongside #1 ranked amateur lightweight Mohammad Al-Kinani (7-1). Rosado began her career by losing a close split decision to the aforementioned Glory Watson, but she's rattled off 4 consecutive victories in 2019, three of which came by way of stoppage. Rosado's improvement has been impressive since her debut, and this is a testament to the amount of energy she puts into her training, and the passion that she has for the sport. She'll be at the top of the heap once Watson goes pro, but don't look for Rosado to be far behind when it comes to entering the pro ranks.
3rd ranked Taylor "T-Storm" Thompson (4-1) is said to be taking some time away from the sport, but she deservedly finds herself in the top 3 pound for pound amateur females in New England. Thompson started her career going 4-0 with Cage Titans and NEF against some pretty strong competition, but she dropped her last fight out in Nevada on an all amateur card last August. A high-level grappler with an evolving striking game, Thompson has the tools to be successful in the pro ranks, but we'll have to wait and see how her career progresses with the rumor of her hiatus lingering.
Three more Mainers own the 4th, 5th, and 6th position in our rankings, as "Charming" Chelsea Tucker (3-3), Adina Beaudry (3-0), and "Crazy" Catie Denning (2-1) hold down those respective positions. Tucker has been on a tear as of late after starting her career with three losses, but 2 of those losses came at the hands of #1 Glory Watson and #6 ranked Denning. In her last bout she picked up a win under the Combat Zone banner against #10 Alyssa Marini (2-2), and she was scheduled to take on uber tough Cara Hill in a bout scheduled for last week, but was scratched due to potential immanent death that we call Covid-19. Tucker's been gaining a lot of exposure with her recent performances and the vast improvement that she's made under the tutelage of First Class MMA head coach John Raio.
Adina Beaudry sports an undefeated record, but her lack of activity is what is holding her back from being ranked higher. She beat #8 ranked pro female Danielle Hindley back in 2016, but has only fought once since late 2016. She's also training at Evolution Athletix with Rosado and Al Kinani, and when fights get underway again, hopefully we'll see Beaudry back in the cage and protecting that "0".
Catie Denning is a training partner of Watson's at Young's MMA in Bangor, ME. She has shown some impressive skills in the cage over the course of her three fights, but she hasn't fought in over a year. Her activity in the cage once events happen locally again will tell us if Denning is one to watch or not.
Another fighter that we should all keep an eye on is 18 year old Lauzon MMA fighter Erin Johnson (1-0). The 8th ranked fighter found her way on to the list due to her impressive debut performance at Combat Zone 73 where she picked up a first round armbar victory over Crystal Nadeau (0-1). Johnson trains at one of the best camps in New England, and she's been a student there for many years. She's being groomed in a methodical way by one of the best coaches in the region in UFC fighter Joe Lauzon, so the sky is the limit for Johnson.
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