UFC Vegas 55: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Forty is not the new thirty, at least in the case of former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Holly Holm. Fighting for the first time in 19-months, she looked every day of her age. At least defensively in space. And when that starts to go in combat sports; the slide is a quick one. So this may just be the beginning of the end for “The Preachers Daughter”.
In fairness; she wasn’t run through by Ketlen Vieira. As a matter of fact, in the clinch along the fence she WAS the dominant fighter. Holm had 10:03 of control time and landed 114-strikes in the clinch. But there was nothing really on those strikes, as “Fenomeno” wasn’t wearing any damage. And lucky for her she wasn’t able to take the BJJ and Judo black-belt to the mat.
Some of her kicks were picture perfect. As the low leg kicks early looked like a good game plan for Holm. But she stopped utilizing the JacksonWinkMMA trademark kicking attack. When Holm did her customary flurry attack, she paid for it, eating stiff rights. She still very much so has a big heart though as she didn’t tap when Vieira had her in serious danger in a standing rear-naked choke.
Beginning Of The End Of A Fun Ride
Holm will forever be part of UFC history for starting the slide of Ronda Rousey. That was a culmination of starting her MMA career 10-0. But since the night of November 14, 2015 she’s gone 4-6. Later this summer, she enters the boxing Hall Of Fame as a three-division champion. In the foreseeable future, she’ll sit in the UFC one as well. And when that happens, she’ll be the only member of both.
After the loss to Vieira; she told Daniel Cormier she felt she did more than enough to have won the fight. Holm didn’t drop her gloves in the middle of the octagon after hearing the split decision loss result, but you could hear the massive disappointment in her voice. She can probably sense what this means.
The likelihood of her snatching another title shot is as good as the planet only driving electric cars by tomorrow morning. Now; does Vieira necessarily deserve to be next in line for the rematch winner of Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena at the end of July? Not really. The UFC may go with something they tend to not do; an immediate trilogy.
Vieira for whatever reason has lapses of non-killer attitude. She’s now 3-2 in her last five. However, the last four have gone to the scorecards. And UFC fans know Dana White prefers finishers. Out of her 13-wins, seven come via the judges.
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