Tag: UFC on ESPN 16

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.

[lawrence-related id=556657,556655,556729]

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:

[lawrence-related id=556657]

[vertical-gallery id=556661]

UFC on ESPN 16 results: Germaine de Randamie chokes out Julianna Pena in third

Germaine de Randamie scored the first submission win of her career, while also serving notice she’s still a major factor.

[autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] made a statement Saturday night: She’s still a major player at 135 pounds.

The former women’s featherweight champion was coming off a loss in a bantamweight title shot against champion Amanda Nunes, and she showed she’s still very much a factor with a third-round technical submission of Julianna Pena during the main card of UFC on ESPN 16.

A tight guillotine choke put an end to things at the 3:25 mark of the third round in a back-and-forth fight, as de Randamaie (10-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) got her first career submission victory.

“I felt sloppy and very stiff, but I tell everybody if you give me your neck, I’ll put you to sleep. Yeah. Hell yeah,” de Randamie said.

[lawrence-related id=556655,556596,556729]

The opening round saw de Randamie use her size and reach advantage to maximum effect, as she blasted Pena (9-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) with overhand rights whenever Pena tried to close the distance – until near round’s end, that is, as Pena closed the distance and scored a trip off the clinch.

That gave Pena confidence going into Round 2 as she started aggressive, pushed forward, scored with a big flurry and set the tone for the round. Pena, the “TUF 18” winner, eventually scored a takedown and spent most of the rest of the round in top position, although there, too, GDR’s length advantage kept her from absorbing much in the way of head trauma.

Pena started aggressive once again in Round 3, but this time de Randamie answered the call, as she re-implemented those looping rights. Pena eventually closed the distance and got the clinch but this time, de Randamie got the best of things. She sank in a tight guillotine and had to signal to referee Jason Herzog that her opponent was out. Pena could be seen twitching by the time things were waved off, though she was back on her feet in time for the announcement of de Randamie’s win.

De Randamie’s fifth career stoppage win was her sixth victory in her past seven fights. Pena has dropped two of three.

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

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 16 results include:

[vertical-gallery id=556664]

[vertical-gallery id=556661]

UFC on ESPN 16 results: Carlos Condit decisions Court McGee, snaps five-fight skid

For the first time since 2015, the popular veteran left the octagon the victor.

For the first time since 2015, [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag] had his hand raised at the end of a fight in the octagon.

The favorite of longtime fans, nicknamed “The Natural Born Killer,” put in a workmanlike performance in which he showed flashes of his heyday and won a solid scrap with veteran [autotag]Court McGee[/autotag] in the featured welterweight prelim bout of UFC on ESPN 16.

The judges’ scores were 30-27 across the board for a unanimous decision, as the former WEC champ and UFC interim titleholder snapped a five-fight losing streak.

“It’s been a long one. I’ve had some ups and downs, surgeries – but it’s a pleasure to be back here and go against a guy like Court,” Condit said in his post-fight interview.

The opening round was mostly fought at a feeling-out pace, as Condit (31-13, 8-9 UFC) frequently switched stances, and McGee (19-0 UFC, 8-9 MMA) seemed content to fire single strikes. If there was any doubt as to who took the opening round, Condit ended it in the final seconds when he landed a huge right hand that dropped McGee to the mat and possibly broke his nose.

The second was an all-action affair, as Condit got back into his groove, using awkward footwork to set up everything from punches in combos to elbows to body kicks. McGee, the “TUF 11” winner, has never been anybody’s pushover, and he landed often enough to keep Condit in check.

The output slowed a bit in the third, but Condit sticking and moving held the day, with McGee never quite getting sustained offense untracked, though it wasn’t for a lack of effort as he hunted until the final horn and landed a solid right in the fight’s closing seconds.

Condit’s win was his first since a TKO over Thiago Alves in May 2015. McGee has lost three in a row and five of his past six.

The welterweight bout closed out the UFC on ESPN 16 preliminary card at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It streamed on ESPN+ ahead of the main card on ESPN.

[vertical-gallery id=556664]

[vertical-gallery id=556661]