The Three Best Female Swedish MMA Fighters

There is no doubt about it, some of MMA’s greatest fighters have come from Sweden. For instance, look at Alexander Gustafsson. The 6-foot 5-inch Swede is unquestionably one of the best fighters the country has ever produced. He holds notable wins against legendary fighters like Thiago Silva, Jim Manuwa, and Cyrille Diabate. Most famously, Gustafsson is known for managing to take down Jon Jones during the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship of 2013. Gustafsson may have lost the fight, but he was the people’s champion and the fight has gone down in history as one of the greatest of all time. Other notable fighters from Sweden include Jack Hermansson, Ilir Latifi, and David Teymur. However, Sweden has not only produced some fantastic male fighters. There are also several notable female Swedish fighters giving the men a run for their money. Here are the three best female MMA fighters from Sweden.

Malin Hermansson

She may have only made her professional MMA debut in December 2017, but Swede Malin Hermansson has already been making waves. She won her first three professional fights, and two were via first-round finish. Hermansson then went on to have two straight wins against the highly-respected fighters Gabriella Ringblom and Cornelia Holm before signing with Bellator. However, her first fight with Bellator in 2019 against Victoria Leonardo ended in the first round when Hermansson was forced to tap to an armbar. The fight was her first professional loss. Hermansson also went on to lose against UFC fighter Priscila Cachoeira. However, the Herminator is sure to be back. In the meantime, you can check out all of the upcoming Bellator events for 2021 and check out the odds online for MMA matches and fighters with an online sportsbook.

Pannie Kianzad

Iranian-Swedish mixed martial artist Pannie Kianzad is currently number 12 in the UFC bantamweight rankings for women, as of March 2021. She began her career at only the age of 14. In 2011, at the age of 19, Kianzad became the Swedish Champion in Shootfighting, defeating Genesini Serena by submission in the second round. By 2014, she had signed with the British Cage Warriors. Kianzad won her debut fight against Megan van Houtum via TKO in the third round. By the end of the year, Kianzad had become the Cage Warriors female bantamweight champion. She then took another step up in her career when she signed with Invicta FC in 2015. Again, she won her debut match, against Jessica-Rose Clark; this time by unanimous decision. Kianzad went on to compete in the Ultimate Fighter 28 and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Lina Länsberg

At present, Lina Länsberg ranks one place above Pannie Kianzad in the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings, at number 11. Born in the Swedish city of Karlstad in 1982, Länsberg began training in Muay Thai in 2003 when she was 21 years old. She had a spectacular career in Muay Thai. Among her many accomplishments, she twice won gold at the IFMA World Championship, in 2008 and 2012, and again at the 2013 IFMA-EMF European Muay Thai Championships. She was also victorious at the 2010 Nordic Championship and the 2012 WMC Scandinavian Professional Muay Thai competition. Länsberg began her MMA career in 2012. Memorable fights include her defeat over Alexandra Buch by TKO in the first round of the 2015 Superior Challenge 12, to win the women’s bantamweight title, and her victory against Lucie Pudilová in 2015 at the Battle of Botnia. The following year, she made her UFC debut appearance as an underdog. Despite losing her debut match against Cris Cyborg at UFC Fight Night 95, Länsberg went on to have various victories. Her most recent win was in 2019 at UFC Fight Night 160, where she beat Macy Chiasson via unanimous decision.