Valentina Shevchenko outworked former women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm on Saturday to take home a unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Chicago.
MMA/UFC: Shevchenko upsets Holm by decision (how bad is this for UFC, Rousey & women's MMA?)
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CHICAGO -- Holly Holm has suffered consecutive defeats for the first time in her storied combat sports career.
Holm (10-2) came up short in a five-round bantamweight fight againstValentina Shevchenko on Saturday. A former professional kickboxer, Shevchenko (13-2) picked Holm apart over the course of 25 minutes, en route to a unanimous decision. All three judges scoring the fight had it convincingly for Shevchenko, 49-46.
The fight, which headlined UFC Fight Night inside United Center, was Holm's first appearance since she lost the UFC championship to Miesha Tate in March. Holm submitted to a rear-naked choke in the fifth round of that bout, but was mostly in control until then. That was not the case on Saturday, as Shevchenko consistently beat her to the punch on the feet.
Holm, 34, is now 0-2 since knocking out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November. She has never lost back-to-back fights, dating back to her professional boxing career from 2002 to 2013.
"We expected counter punches, Thai clinch game, trips -- and she did all that," Holm said. "We trained for it. I was taught all the right things. No excuses. My coaches teach me everything. My performance was not right tonight."
Holm was a betting favorite going into Saturday, although a significant amount of money came in on Shevchenko in the 24 hours leading up the bout. Fighting out of Peru, the native of Kyrgyzstan is a seasoned striker but Holm is listed as three inches taller, with a two-inch reach advantage. Holm also fought at a higher weight in boxing.
In the first round, the size seemed to throw Shevchenko off a bit. Holm dropped her with a short right hand and, after giving up a takedown, popped immediately back to her feet.
By the second frame, however, Shevchenko started to find her range. She caught Holm coming in with the counter right hand over and over again, and started to find a home for the inside leg kick. She threw a wicked, counter spinning backfist that Holm just managed to block. Momentum was firmly in Shevchenko's corner after the second round and she never relinquished it.
According to immediate cageside stats from Fightmetric, Shevchenko out-landed Holm in total strikes 110 to 69. The 28-year-old improved to 2-1 in the UFC with the win. Her only loss came via decision to current champion Amanda Nunes in March.
"Amanda is a good fighter, she has good standing and good ground game -- and of course, I want a rematch with Nunes for the title belt," Shevchenko said.
Holm seemed to be aware she was behind on the scorecards as the fight wore on. Shevchenko opened a small cut over Holm's right eye in the third, although that didn't seem to have a huge effect on Holm. Shevchenko scored a takedown later in the round and finished with hard elbows from top position.
With the Chicago crowd chanting her name, the former champ tried to get her left kick going -- arguably her most devastating strike -- but the counter striking of Shevchenko limited its effect.
The UFC's 135-pound women's division has been in constant flux since Holm's knockout of Rousey. Tate managed to hold the title for just four months, losing in her first title defense to Nunes at UFC 200 on July 9.
Holm (10-2) came up short in a five-round bantamweight fight againstValentina Shevchenko on Saturday. A former professional kickboxer, Shevchenko (13-2) picked Holm apart over the course of 25 minutes, en route to a unanimous decision. All three judges scoring the fight had it convincingly for Shevchenko, 49-46.
The fight, which headlined UFC Fight Night inside United Center, was Holm's first appearance since she lost the UFC championship to Miesha Tate in March. Holm submitted to a rear-naked choke in the fifth round of that bout, but was mostly in control until then. That was not the case on Saturday, as Shevchenko consistently beat her to the punch on the feet.
Holm, 34, is now 0-2 since knocking out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November. She has never lost back-to-back fights, dating back to her professional boxing career from 2002 to 2013.
"We expected counter punches, Thai clinch game, trips -- and she did all that," Holm said. "We trained for it. I was taught all the right things. No excuses. My coaches teach me everything. My performance was not right tonight."
Holm was a betting favorite going into Saturday, although a significant amount of money came in on Shevchenko in the 24 hours leading up the bout. Fighting out of Peru, the native of Kyrgyzstan is a seasoned striker but Holm is listed as three inches taller, with a two-inch reach advantage. Holm also fought at a higher weight in boxing.
In the first round, the size seemed to throw Shevchenko off a bit. Holm dropped her with a short right hand and, after giving up a takedown, popped immediately back to her feet.
By the second frame, however, Shevchenko started to find her range. She caught Holm coming in with the counter right hand over and over again, and started to find a home for the inside leg kick. She threw a wicked, counter spinning backfist that Holm just managed to block. Momentum was firmly in Shevchenko's corner after the second round and she never relinquished it.
According to immediate cageside stats from Fightmetric, Shevchenko out-landed Holm in total strikes 110 to 69. The 28-year-old improved to 2-1 in the UFC with the win. Her only loss came via decision to current champion Amanda Nunes in March.
"Amanda is a good fighter, she has good standing and good ground game -- and of course, I want a rematch with Nunes for the title belt," Shevchenko said.
Holm seemed to be aware she was behind on the scorecards as the fight wore on. Shevchenko opened a small cut over Holm's right eye in the third, although that didn't seem to have a huge effect on Holm. Shevchenko scored a takedown later in the round and finished with hard elbows from top position.
With the Chicago crowd chanting her name, the former champ tried to get her left kick going -- arguably her most devastating strike -- but the counter striking of Shevchenko limited its effect.
The UFC's 135-pound women's division has been in constant flux since Holm's knockout of Rousey. Tate managed to hold the title for just four months, losing in her first title defense to Nunes at UFC 200 on July 9.
She scared.
Probably so. Too many L's might fuck up her out the cage money
She's on her 14th Minute of Fame.
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The official Fuck You Kick logo ...
The other official Fuck You Kicks from recent years ...
Joanna said it - they need to come with a 125 woman's division and a 145 woman's division
Valentina will rule that - Cyborg will rule the 145 - and the woman's divisions have as much excitement as the men and watching women at 115 and 125 is so much more exciting than watching men at that weight class - with all due respect to Mighty Mouse.
Valentina will rule that - Cyborg will rule the 145 - and the woman's divisions have as much excitement as the men and watching women at 115 and 125 is so much more exciting than watching men at that weight class - with all due respect to Mighty Mouse.
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/valent...champ-joanna-jedrzejczyk-whos-now-a-supporter
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/twitte...t-of-former-champ-holly-holm-at-ufc-on-fox-20
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/ufc-on-fox-20-valentina-shevchenko-vs-holly-holm-video-highlights
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/in-ufc-womens-bantamweight-division-chaos-is-the-new-order
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/ufc-on...ing-first-in-holly-holms-combat-sports-career
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/joe-si...nko-and-ufc-on-fox-20s-other-winning-fighters
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/twitte...t-of-former-champ-holly-holm-at-ufc-on-fox-20
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/ufc-on-fox-20-valentina-shevchenko-vs-holly-holm-video-highlights
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/in-ufc-womens-bantamweight-division-chaos-is-the-new-order
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/ufc-on...ing-first-in-holly-holms-combat-sports-career
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/07/joe-si...nko-and-ufc-on-fox-20s-other-winning-fighters
this sounds like a damn good idea...
are their ENOUGH qualified female fighters though?
Ronda will not fight until atleast mid 2017. She has too much to lose. All the TV, movies, ads she has is based off her dominant performances. She can't take another ass whoopin' and keep getting the sponsorship, appearances, movies, etc. She has to stack all her chips now in case her loud mouth cocky ass takes another ass whoopin' and the gravy train ends.
It may be a big whoop in terms of PPV money for the womens side of things though. To have the face of the women's side of things get completely dismantled like that, and then disappear for a long time, while the woman who dominated her in every possible way goes and loses two straight... that's gotta hurt.
That is logic. As the old saying goes, styles make fights.
As for MMA, the sport will be fine. Folks forget the sport is only a little over 20 years old.
Still plenty of growing to do. As more of these old boxing only people die off, MMA will grow. Hopefully, UFC will have more competition from other promotions.
Ronda will return to a different game. These women fighters are getting better at a fast pace.
Playa
4 years ago I would have said no but many of the women at 115 0r 135 are either cutting or gaining weight to make the 2 divisions when there could be 4 or at least 3 with adding 125lbs division.
Go back and look at the women's division, there are a lot of straight up killers amongst the women like Amanda Nunes and Joanna J.
i dont know what it is about felice herrig but i want to fuck the shit out that hoe and holly holms has some nice legs
Yo man...
It use to be just Cyborg
But now, all these TOUGH lookin bitches is coming out the woodwork.
Rhonda need to bow out gracefully
stick to movies and commercials
cuz she gonna end up like Roy Jones, Jr.
That arm-bar shit is DEAD...
Holm got the recipe
But Holm ain't the one she gotta worry about anymore.
Rhonda is scared!
How many bitches you done fucked up and they fought the following 6 months?
It's almost a year
or is it???
It use to be just Cyborg
But now, all these TOUGH lookin bitches is coming out the woodwork.
Rhonda need to bow out gracefully
stick to movies and commercials
cuz she gonna end up like Roy Jones, Jr.
That arm-bar shit is DEAD...
Holm got the recipe
But Holm ain't the one she gotta worry about anymore.
Rhonda is scared!
How many bitches you done fucked up and they fought the following 6 months?
It's almost a year
or is it???
If Rousey does return ... many think it will probably be at the November PPV in NY. Get one last big cash-out & then retire.
Yeah the Barclays
NY's 1st MMA/UFC event
it will be big
We will see
NY's 1st MMA/UFC event
it will be big
We will see
Yeah - gonna be interesting to see how they line that card. They (and Conor McG) definitely want to get on it after having missed UFC 200 earlier this month in Vegas. Should be interesting to see how Diaz-McG II plays out on Aug. 20th ... if Conor loses ... imagine the additional fanfare coming Diaz's way. If McG wins ... they'll be looking to make that trilogy for additional $ later in the year, or early-2017.