- Holly Holm beat Irene Aldana after a unanimous decision in the main event at UFC on ESPN 16.
- Holm was dominant throughout the entire fight, not allowing Aldana to have the slightest chance of winning.
- Germaine de Randamie and Carlos Felipe also posted wins.
Holm Wins Second in a Row, Slices Aldana
The 38-year old veteran was more than convincing against the rival, performing very well and indicating that her form is at a much higher level than before. Holm won via unanimous decision. All three judges scored in her favor, 50-44, 50-45, 50-45.
“It felt good to just go in there and get a dominating performance and not something that’s just too close,” Holm said. “There’s fights I’ve had that are brawls, and some are in the clinch, and I’m like trying to put it all together and be a well-rounded fighter.”
And that was exactly how this match went, with Holm firing from all weapons. She harrassed Aldana with punches, leg kicks, takedowns, grappling, everything available. Meanwhile, the Mexican fighter couldn’t do anything to stop the rival, and this match pretty much looked like one tougher training for Holm.
The American was dominant right from the start, punishing Aldana all over the octagon. Powerful combos of punches, followed with leg kicks, which made everything look even more brutal, were frequent in this bout. Even though many considered Aldana to be a possible title contender at the 135-pound division, this bout proved that she doesn’t have what it takes to reach there. At least not now.
As for Holm, with two straight victories following a period in which she didn’t perform well and consistent, there are a few options on the table. Among them are Amanda Nunes and Germaine de Randamie.
“I know (Amanda Nunes has) got a lot doing on right now, with another fight already scheduled. There’s some tough girls coming up. I feel like the 135-pound division’s always pretty stacked,” Holm said.
She suffered a defeat against both of these fighters, and both came in title matches. Against Nunes for the bantamweight, and versus de Randamie for the featherweight title.
Carlos Felipe and Dusko Todorovic Poste First UFC Success
The two newcomers to the organization recorded their first victories. Carlos Felipe was better than Yorgan de Castro, after three rounds of excellent fighting in which he showed a solid potential to make a name of his own in the heavyweight division.
All the judges scored in his favor, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, which earned him a first UFC triumph after the initial loss.
On the other side, Todorovic was victorious in his debut, knocking out Dequan Townsend. The Serbian middleweight prospect improved his record in MMA to 10-0, but no doubt this was his biggest win so far.
He was excellent against Townsend, who was on the backfoot during the entire fight, and while also eating a few punches, he demonstrated a solid technique and striking abilities.
The above-mentioned de Randamie had a fight of her own against Julianna Pena, which was, according to many, the best fight of the night. de Randamie won, after a submission guillotine choke in the third round, but having to put in a lot of work into this contest.
