2025 Australian MMA Female Fighter of the Year - Lisa Kyriacou

Lisa Kyriacou takes it in 2025, and it’s not just because she won. It’s because she reminded everyone she’s still the standard.

She’s now 8–3, and even though she only went 1–0 this year, it’s been a weird time for regional women’s MMA in Australia.

If you’re serious, you almost have to go international or break into the big leagues, because there just aren’t many local pro matchups that feel like they truly matter.

This one did.

Against the rising Faine Mesquita, the first round was disappointing by Lisa’s standards and for a moment it genuinely looked like a passing of the guard. Then Lisa adjusted, steadied, and dragged the fight back into her world. She took over the back end, won the key moments, and banked a unanimous decision that didn’t just beat a contender, it shut the storyline down.

In a year where meaningful local opportunities were thin, Lisa made the most important one count, and she did it in the most “Lisa” way possible. Calm, smart, and with that veteran edge that says: don’t forget who number one is.

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