Ashlee Evans-Smith

Ashlee Evans-Smith earned her 'Rebel Girl' moniker the hard way: a three-time California state wrestling champion and four-time All-American who parlayed her grappling pedigree into a professional MMA career. She turned pro in 2013, won the CFA Women's Featherweight Championship in a dramatic triple-round battle against transgender fighter Fallon Fox (a controversial 2013 bout that saw her continue striking after the bell due to referee error), and entered the UFC at age 27 with a 3-0 record. In the octagon, Evans-Smith became a volume striker, landing over 4 significant strikes per minute from the clinch and at distance while maintaining a lean wrestling approach. Her career trajectory has been defined by inconsistency: wins by decision over Bec Rawlings and Veronica Macedo interspersed with losses to rising prospects Ketlen Vieira, Andrea Lee, and Norma Dumont, plus early submission defeats to Raquel Pennington and Sarah Moras that exposed her vulnerability on the ground.

Evans-Smith's UFC tenure was interrupted by a significant setback in 2022: a 14-month USADA suspension for testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which retroactively began January 3, 2022, and lasted until March 3, 2023. That suspension created a 2.5-year gap between her last fight (November 2020 vs. Norma Dumont) and her comeback (July 2023 vs. Ailin Perez), a layoff that proved difficult to overcome. The July 2023 comeback ended in another unanimous decision loss, after which the UFC released her from the roster. Throughout her time in the promotion, Evans-Smith's fighting style remained consistent: a clinch-heavy, striking-volume approach rooted in her wrestling background but lacking the takedown finishing power to dominate top-tier opponents.

Beyond competition, Evans-Smith has maintained a direct presence in the MMA community through her podcast 'Sex & Violence with Rebel Girl,' building a connection with fans who respect her work ethic and competitive spirit despite a mixed fight record (6-6 in the UFC). Her story is that of a veteran grinder who gave the sport years of effort, earned some memorable wins, but ultimately struggled to break into the elite tier of women's bantamweights. She remains a figure of quiet respect within the sport for her authenticity and refusal to shy away from tough fights, even as injuries, suspensions, and competitive setbacks took their toll.