Tag: Holly Holm

Twitter Mailbag: Will we ever see Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington?

A fight between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal makes sense on multiple levels. Will we see it? Nolan King answers this and more in his Twitter Mailbag.

Questions on your mind about recent happenings in the UFC or the sport of MMA in general? MMA Junkie’s Twitter Mailbag is here – and this week @mma_kings answers:

  • Are we ever going to see [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] or not?
  • How would former UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Rose Namajunas [/autotag] fare against current flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag]?
  • How could the controversial finish of Tuesday’s DWCS bout between [autotag]JP Buys[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Silva[/autotag] have been handled better?

Watch the video above for answers to those questions.

To ask a question of your own, follow @MMAjunkie on Twitter and let us know.

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Twitter Mailbag: Will Conor McGregor win another UFC championship?

Will Conor McGregor ever win another UFC belt? What happens if he loses to Dustin Poirier? MMA Junkie readers have questions and Nolan King has answers.

Questions on your mind about recent happenings in the UFC or the sport of MMA in general? MMA Junkie’s Twitter Mailbag is here – and this week it’s @mma_kings to answer:

  • Will [autotag]Conor McGregor [/autotag]ever hold another UFC championship?
  • If Conor loses to [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], is that the end of his days at 155?
  • Should [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] and [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] fight for an interim title?

Those are answered in the video above.

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Spinning Back Clique: Is Jon Jones vs. Israel Adesanya more than just a fantasy fight?

Check out the latest episode of Spinning Back Clique, which covers the fallout from UFC on ESPN 16 and more.

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, “Gorgeous” George Garica hosts a panel that includes his MMA Junkie Radio co-host.”Goze” Garcia, as well as MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn and Dan Tom.

SHOW TOPICS

  • Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] painted a masterpiece on Saturday night at UFC on ESPN 16, and it came at the cost of rising Mexican star Irene Aldana. What is next for “The Preacher’s Daughter”?
  • UFC president Dana White said we were close to having [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] as the next coaches of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Nurmagomedov then decided against it after McGregor disclosed some private messages between himself and White. Should the UFC pursue that pairing again or move on to something else?
  • [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] have been brawling on social media, so much so that Dana White has said this is the “fight to make.” Do you guys agree with White and think this fight needs to come together now, or does this need to simmer a little longer?
  • Quietly on the prelims of UFC on ESPN 16, [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag] got a win over Court McGee. Social media was buzzing as “The Natural Born Killer” pulled off the upset, at least according to the sports books. Some media wanted him to sail off into the sunset with the win, while others were lining him up vs. future opponents. What should he do next?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 49 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

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Irene Aldana issues statement on lopsided UFC on ESPN 16 loss to Holly Holm

Irene Aldana couldn’t execute her plan against Holly Holm this past weekend, and she admits it.

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] couldn’t execute her plan against [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] this past weekend, and she admits it.

Aldana (12-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) dropped a one-sided unanimous decision to former bantamweight champion Holm in the UFC on ESPN 16 headliner at Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in what was being dubbed a No. 1 contender fight for the Mexican standout.

The 32-year-old Aldana had a hard time cutting off the cage against Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC), who used her movement, wrestling and diverse striking to keep Aldana guessing.

Aldana acknowledged as much in a statement posted on her Instagram.

“Today things didn’t go my way. First of all I want to apologize to my corner because we had a very specific fight plan that I could not execute. I felt that something was wrong with my left foot; it wasn’t responding since the beginning of the fight. No excuses, I still know that I faced the best version of Holly, and I congratulate her for winning. I am proud to know that I am competing with the best in the world. This is how this is. This is how sport is: We win, we lose. But as I’ve always shown, the only thing that’s next for me is to train harder, improve and come back stronger than ever. Thanks to all the people who have shown me their support in good and bad times. Thanks to my sponsors for their incredible support always! Ready for what’s next.”

Aldana entered the fight having won five of her past six but will look to get back to the drawing board.

Holm meanwhile, at 38, remains very much in the women’s 135-pound title picture. Since losing the belt in 2016, Holm has received three title shots but come up short each time to Germaine de Randamie and Cris Cyborg at featherweight, as well as Amanda Nunes at bantamweight.

 

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Who’s next for Irene Aldana after Holly Holm loss? | UFC on ESPN 16 matchmaker

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Irene Aldana in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Irene Aldana in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”

Holly Holm open to anything after UFC on ESPN 16: ‘The 135-pound division’s always pretty stacked’

Holly Holm is keeping her options open after a one-sided victory over Irene Aldana in the UFC on ESPN 16 main event.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] is keeping her options open after a one-sided victory over Irene Aldana on Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 16 main event.

Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) put a clinic on Aldana (12-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC), dominating all five rounds for a unanimous decision in the women’s bantamweight headliner at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The win put her on a two-fight winning streak, which is her first run of consecutive victories since starting her career unbeaten through 10 fights.

Given her name value and status in the sport, Holm is always in the conversation to be fighting for a title. She turned back a highly touted rising contender in Aldana, and while it could be argued it’s enough right now for another one, Holm said she’s not going to get her hopes up for anything in particular.

“I’m going to keep working hard,” Holm told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at UFC on ESPN 16. “That’s what I’m going to do. I know (dual champion 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, so I’m not going to set my sights on something too hard. I’m going to let the opportunity come and the next fight after the next fight. And whatever that may be, I’m going to put my heart and soul into it and do it again.”

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If Holm doesn’t get a title opportunity with Nunes, another option that could make sense is a rematch with Germaine de Randamie, who picked up a submission of Julianna Pena at UFC on ESPN 16. The two fought to a controversial decision at UFC 208 in February 2017, which de Randamie won to claim the inaugural women’s featherweight title. Nearly four years later, Holm wouldn’t be opposed to running it back.

“That’s definitely an option,” Holm said. “I think everybody probably thought her and I might meet up again in there, so we’ll see what happens. We’ll see where it goes from here.”

Holm has received criticism in some of her recent fights for a lack of action and aggression. That wasn’t the case Saturday. She left it all on the table over the course of five rounds. The reviews call it one of the best performances of Holm’s career, and while she’s pleased to have put it together more than she had in a lot of other bouts, she said it wasn’t wholly satisfying.

“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. I felt I was able to do a lot of that tonight, but yes, I always want to do more.

“I think just coming over here, it’s just a lot of sacrifice from my team and I just wanted to get in there and I didn’t want to let the time pass me by without making the most out of it. Get out there and get it done. We came this far for 25 minutes, I better at least do something for 25 minutes.”

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UFC on ESPN 16 results: Holly Holm makes statement, dominates Irene Aldana

Two weeks shy of her 39th birthday, Holly Holm made a statement she’s still among the sport’s best women’s fighters.

In two weeks, [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] will turn 39. But Saturday, the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion made it clear she’s still got a lot of fight left in her system.

Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) put on one of her most impressive performances in quite some time when she dominated Mexico’s [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN 16 main event.

The judges’ scores were 50-44, 50-45 and 50-45 for a unanimous decision. With the win, Holm has won consecutive fights for the first time since her legendary head kick knockout of Ronda Rousey made her 10-0. She’s also won three of her past four.

“I”m still very green – I’m learning,” Holm said in her post-fight interview. “I’m putting it all together.”

It didn’t take long for Holm to implement her game plan. She pushed forward and landed combos of four and five punches, frequently adding a leg kick as a punctuation mark. Aldana had to chase Holm, but never seemed to get untracked, as Holm always had the answer.

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This continued into the second, but Holm added another wrinkle by implementing her wrestling game and scoring a pair of takedowns.

In the third, Aldana, who was in her first UFC main event, finally came out swinging, but this just made Holm switch levels and go for the takedown again. Holm got side control and worked for a Kimura, and not quite getting it, got top control and rained down ground-and-pound for a near-finish before Aldana escaped.

The last two rounds were a veteran’s clinic in how to fight when you know you’re up on the scorecards. Holm didn’t take any needless risks, but nor did she ever let Aldana get comfortable, as Aldana basically chased Holm and mostly ate counters and body kicks for her troubles. Holm landed her fourth and fifth takedowns of the fight in those respective rounds to round out her performance.

The win was the sixth decision victory for the Jackson’s MMA stalwart. Aldana has now dropped two of her past three.

The women’s bantamweight bout was the UFC on ESPN 16 main event at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

Complete UFC on ESPN 16 results:

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Video: UFC on ESPN 16 preview with John Morgan

MMA Junkie lead reporter John Morgan fills you in on everything you need to know heading into Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 16.

ABU DHABI — The next chapter of the UFC’s latest stint on “Fight Island” unfolds on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 16.

MMA Junkie lead staff reporter John Morgan is on-site for the event at Flash Forum on Yas Island, which will be headlined by an intriguing women’s bantamweight matchup between former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] and rising contender [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]. It also features the latest tests for former UFC featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie and former WEC welterweight and UFC interim welterweight titleholder Carlos Condit.

Watch the video above to hear Morgan break down everything you need to know about UFC on ESPN 16.

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UFC on ESPN 16 predictions: Holly Holm is the favorite – but do we like Irene Aldana?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 16 main card on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.

Holm
vs.
Aldana		 De Castro
vs.
Felipe		 De Randamie
vs.
Pena		 Todorovic
vs.
Townsend
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 106-68		 holm2020
Holm
(56%)		 decastro2020
De Castro
(73%)		 derandamie2020
De Randamie
(58%)		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
(75%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 117-57		 aldana2020
Aldana		 carlos2020
Felipe		 pena2020
Pena		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 116-58		 aldana2020
Aldana		 decastro2020
De Castro		 pena2020
Pena		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 116-58		 aldana2020
Aldana		 decastro2020
De Castro		 derandamie2020
De Randamie		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 114-60		 aldana2020
Aldana		 decastro2020
De Castro		 derandamie2020
De Randamie		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 113-61
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 aldana2020
Aldana		 decastro2020
De Castro		 pena2020
Pena		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 113-61		 holm2020
Holm		 decastro2020
De Castro		 derandamie2020
De Randamie		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 113-61
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 aldana2020
Aldana		 decastro2020
De Castro		 derandamie2020
De Randamie		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 110-64
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 holm2020
Holm		 decastro2020
De Castro		 derandamie2020
De Randamie		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 109-65		 aldana2020
Aldana		 carlos2020
Felipe		 derandamie2020
De Randamie		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 107-67		 aldana2020
Aldana		 decastro2020
De Castro		 pena2020
Pena		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 106-68		 aldana2020
Aldana		 decastro2020
De Castro		 pena2020
Pena		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 105-69
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 holm2020
Holm		 decastro2020
De Castro		 derandamie2020
De Randamie		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 103-71		 holm2020
Holm		 decastro2020
De Castro		 derandamie2020
De Randamie		 todorovic2020
Todorovic
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 73-101		 aldana2020
Aldana		 carlos2020
Felipe		 derandamie2020
De Randamie		 townsend2020
Townsend

(Note: The fight between Cameron Else and Kyler Phillips was added to the main card too late for our picks deadline.)

The UFC has its second of five straight “Fight Island” shows Saturday, and a former champion is atop the card.

UFC on ESPN 16 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC). Holm is just a slight favorite in the fight at -125, but our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are siding with Aldana at a 10-4 clip.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. De Castro is a heavy favorite, and he’s got a big 11-3 picks lead.

Also on the main card, former women’s featherweight champ [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC). Pena is a slight favorite, but it’s de Randamie with a fairly sizable 9-5 picks lead.

And [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is the main card’s heaviest favorite in his middleweight bout against [autotag]Dequan Townsend[/autotag] (21-11 MMA, 0-3 UFC). Only one of our pickers is going with Townsend in an upset.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Holm (56 percent), De Castro (73 percent), de Randamie (58 percent) and Todorovic (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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UFC on ESPN 16 video: Holly Holm, Irene Aldana make weight on ‘Fight Island’

The UFC on ESPN 16 fighter weigh-ins are in the books on “Fight Island.” Watch the headliners hit their marks.

ABU DHABI – The UFC on ESPN 16 fighter weigh-ins are in the books on “Fight Island.”

In the main event, former women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC). Holm weighed in at 136 pounds midway through the list of fighters to come to the scale. Aldana was the final fighter to weigh in, roughly 80 minutes into the two-hour window, and also hit 136 without issue.

Check out their trips to the scale in the video above.

UFC on ESPN 16 takes place Saturday at the same venue. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.