MMA
The 10 Best Female Muay Thai Fighters in History
This article ranks and analyses the 10 best female Muay Thai fighters in history.
Valentina Shevchenko//Getty Images
Muay Thai, otherwise known as the art of eight limbs, has grown exponentially over the past two decades, especially when it comes to the female divisions.
Muay Thai fighters are some of the toughest combat sports athletes in the world because of the sheer brutality of their sport. They are able to use kicks, knees, elbows and punches, and because of this, Muay Thai bouts often deliver spectacular knockouts.
This article ranks the top 10 best female Muay Thai fighters of all time, and looks at why they were/are so great, as well as their achievements and accolades. We also use the critical consensus table and SportsBoom MetaScale to analyse each fighter.
Methodology
Our rankings are based on an objective analysis of measurable data and legacy factors. The following criteria were used to determine the final list:
Professional Record (40%): Career wins, losses, and draws, verified through authoritative databases.
World Titles (30%): Championships from top-tier organizations such as IFMA, WMC, WBC, and ONE Championship.
Notable Achievements (20%): Significant accolades, tournament victories, and influence in other disciplines like MMA or kickboxing.
Legacy Impact (10%): Contributions to the growth of female Muay Thai and their influence on the next generation of fighters.
Critical Consensus: Ranking the Best Female Muay Thai Fighters
The Critical Consensus Table combines the fighters ranking from Rajadamnern and Ubud Muay Thai, as well as listing their key achievements within the sport.
Critical Consensus Table
| Rank | Fighter | Rajadamnern.com Rank | Ubud Muay Thai Rank | Key Achievements |
| 1 | Anissa Meksen | 2 | 2 | Multiple Glory Kickboxing titles, WBC Muay Thai World Champion, ISKA Champion, Combat Press #1 Kickboxer |
| 2 | Valentina Shevchenko | 3 | 4 | 8 IFMA World Titles, UFC Flyweight Champion, IMFA Royal World Cup winner |
| 3 | Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu | 4 | 3 | Most documented female fights in Thailand, WBC and IPCC World Champion |
| 4 | Loma Lookboonmee | 5 | 5 | Gold at 2017 IFMA Amateur Championships, S1 World Champion |
| 5 | Sawsing Sor Sopit | 6 | 6 | WMC and IFMA World Champion, medals at World Combat Games |
| 6 | Iman Barlow | 7 | 7 | Enfusion and Lion Fight Super Bantamweight Champion, WBC International Title |
| 7 | Miriam Nakamoto | 8 | 8 | IFMA World Champion, WMC World Champion |
| 8 | Stamp Fairtex | - | 1 | ONE Atomweight Kickboxing & Muay Thai Champion, Grand Prix Champion |
| 9 | Somratsamee Manopgym | 1 | - | RWS Female Flyweight & Bantamweight Champion, IFMA World Silver Medalist |
| 10 | Julie Kitchen | 9 | - | WBC and WMC World Champion, ISKA World Champion |
SportsBoom MetaScale: Ranking Female Muay Thai Legends
The SportsBoom MetaScale takes into account a fighters professional record, number of titles held, notable achievements, and the impact their legacy had on the sport.
SportsBoom MetaScale Table
| Rank | Fighter | Professional Record (40%) | Titles Held (30%) | Notable Achievements (20%) | Legacy Impact (10%) | MetaScale Score |
| 1 | Anissa Meksen | 38 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 98 |
| 2 | Valentina Shevchenko | 37 | 30 | 18 | 10 | 95 |
| 3 | Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu | 40 | 25 | 20 | 8 | 93 |
| 4 | Loma Lookboonmee | 36 | 27 | 19 | 8 | 90 |
| 5 | Sawsing Sor Sopit | 35 | 26 | 19 | 7 | 87 |
| 6 | Iman Barlow | 34 | 28 | 20 | 4 | 86 |
| 7 | Stamp Fairtex | 33 | 28 | 21 | 3 | 85 |
| 8 | Miriam Nakamoto | 32 | 25 | 20 | 5 | 82 |
| 9 | Somratsamee Manopgym | 31 | 25 | 19 | 5 | 80 |
| 10 | Julie Kitchen | 30 | 23 | 18 | 6 | 77 |
1. Anissa Meksen
With a plethora of world titles to her name, Anissa Meksen is the best female Muay Thai fighter in history. She has dominated multiple elite promotional companies in the world of kickboxing and Muay Thai because of her precise and powerful kicks. Meksen is the only fighter on this list that has recorded over 100 professional wins, having lost just five times in 127 bouts.
2. Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko//Getty Images
Perhaps more known for her excellent UFC career, Valentina Shevchenko started her combat sports career in Muay Thai. The Kyrgyzstan fighter won eight IMFA world titles and lost just twice in 59 pro bouts before transitioning to MMA. Now she has superb Judo skills to go alongside her Muay Thai style. Since transitioning to MMA, Shevchenko has cemented herself as one of the best female UFC fighters of all time.
3. Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu
Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu has won over ten titles as a Muay Thai fighter, and she's the only fighter on this list from America. Yet, that has not stopped her from becoming one of the best female Muay Thai fighters of all time.
The 41-year-old has accumulated over 270 fights in her career, winning 185 of them, and she has never once been stopped, making her one of the toughest fighters ever.
4. Loma Lookboonmee
Loma Lookboonmee won a gold medal at the 2017 IMFA tournament and in 2018, and she has since taken her high level Muay Thai skills to the UFC. Since transitioning to MMA in 2018, Lookboonmee has achieved a record of 9-3 (6-2 in the UFC). 2025 will provide her with an opportunity to climb up the strawweight rankings and establish herself as a top 10 contender.
5. Sawsing Sor Sopit
Sawsing Sor Sopit has won several national titles in her birth country of Thailand, and she's also won titles on the world stage as well. Sor Sopit doesn't just have great technique in her striking, she is known for her toughness having lost only 30 times in over 200 kickboxing and Muay Thai bouts. Sawsing’s achievements in amateur and professional Muay Thai makes her one of the sport’s most versatile female fighters in history.
6. Iman Barlow
Iman Barlow has been around in the Muay Thai and kickboxing game since 2008 and she is still active today. Known as "Pretty Killer," Barlow’s dominance in Europe and her technical fighting style have earned her respect worldwide. With a record of 97-6-3, the English female fighter has won several titles and tournaments on the European and world stage in the female bantamweight division.
7. Stamp Fairtex
Alyse Anderson lands a kick on Stamp Fairtex//Getty Images
At just 26-years-old, Stamp Fairtex has achieved ridiculous things across Muay Thai and MMA. Firstly, as a Muay Thai fighter, she won the Atomweight title in ONE as a Muay Thai fighter, she's won the Atomweight title in ONE as a kickboxer, and she's won the Atomweight title in ONE as an MMA fighter.
After recording 64 wins, 17 losses and 5 draws in Muay Thai and kickboxing, Fairtex has now transitioned to MMA, where she is 11-2 and is the current ONE Championship Atomweight title holder.
8. Miriam Nakamoto
Miriam Nakamoto is now retired, nevertheless, she posed an undefeated Muay Thai and kickboxing career between 2008 and 2013. Nakamoto also had a short spell in MMA but she only went 2-1 (1 No Contest). During her heyday, she won five world titles across various promotions.
9. Somratsamee Manopgym
Despite being just 21 years of age, Somratsamee Manopgym has already claimed five world titles to her name across the flyweight and bantamweight division. Known for her powerful strikes and sharp technique, Somratsamee has made a mark in her young career. Manopgym recently went 18 fights undefeated before losing in the Rajadamnern World Series - Final 4 in November of 2024.
10. Julie Kitchen
Now retired, Julie Kitchen is the second fighter from England to make this list. Hailing from Cornwall, Kitchen had a decade-long Muay Thai career, accumulating 51 wins and just 9 losses. “The Queen of Muay Thai” won 23 titles/tournaments across her illustrious career. Kitchen has had a huge impact on the sports growth in the UK and Europe because of her early dominance in the 2000s.
SportsBoom Suggests
Anissa Meksen is by far the standout choice as the best female Muay Thai fighter in history. Her dominance and longevity in the sport is unmatched. Valentina Shevchenko and Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu make up the top three with the former also being regarded as one of the best female UFC fighters in history.
Fighters like Stamp Fairtex and Somratsamee Manopgym deserve to be on this list, despite being young, because of their potential to break historic records in the sport.
Female Muay Thai fighters have broken barriers and set new benchmarks in the sport. From the dominance of Anissa Meksen to the versatility of Stamp Fairtex, these athletes exemplify skill, determination, and influence, inspiring a new generation of fighters worldwide.
Jake Staniland is a sports writer who excels in covering a wide range of sports: football, combat sports and the NFL - All three subjects are his lifelong passions.
Jake is a boyhood Sheffield United fan, which is often a curse that he thanks his family for. His favourite Blades player ever is Billy Sharp