Holm vs. de Randamie

This is the official discussion thread for Holm vs. de Randamie. Let's see what you've got.

You know what the funny thing here is? I personally think that Cyborg's an "easier" fight for Holly. She's so aggressive that she falls right into Holly's powerhouse.

Holly has a hard time with girls who are tentative against her because she thrives on her footwork and counters. That's why she looked so amazing against Ronda and so meh against every other girl she fought in the UFC.

Cyborg is aggressive, not that technical and Holly's footwork is perfect against bull-rushers.

Now De Randamie on the other hand is a long and very technical striker, whom I personally think Holly will have a lot of trouble handling (I'm thinking of picking her, just haven't got myself to switching against Holly yet because I love her, lol).

So the UFC trying to set Holly up with a more winnable fight so she can rematch Ronda with a belt (and maybe even get Ronda to become a 2 division champ in the process) may backfire badly.

Had the UFC waited a couple of weeks for Cyborg they'd have a win-win situation on their hands. If Holly wins, a fighter that's won 1 out of her last 3 but beat Cyborg in that 1 sells WAY more than the same fight coming off a tailored win over De Randamie. And if Cyborg wins ... well, that's at least 1M PPV buys without even cutting the first promo. My guess is Ronda wants to fight once or twice more, doesn't want to fight Cyborg and Dana wants to make as much money out of as he can, so Nunes (for the 135 belt), then Holly (for the 145 belts), millions of $$$ and now Ronda can retire as the greatest woman to ever grace the cage without ever fighting the one girl she really has to to be that.

Also, let's not forget Ronda, or should I say, a mentally beaten up Ronda who no matter what front she puts up doesn't feel invincible anymore and is having a hard time dealing with it, still has to deal with a monster in Nunes and I also find it hard to believe that she's imrpoved so much that she can beat Holly. They still match up BADLY for Ronda.

If De Randamie and Nunes win (I can see that happening), I don't think the UFC have much a blockbuster plan for that ... they'll just keep manipulating **** until they get their Ronda blockbuster (hopefully against Holly because she was her opponent in the Ronda fight most people have heard about).

* Edited at 12.14.2016, 5:03 PM ET *

I am surprised they made Featherweight before Flyweight. Realistically that means Flyweight probably won't happen until 2019.

I believe the turning point was Cyborg's last fight where the card was pretty average but did good numbers which says people will watch Cyborg fight anyone.

However their are alot more fighters at Bantamweight who would drop down as opposed to those who want go up. Should be interesting to see who they sign.

@maccca, they made featherweight first because it's not about the division it's about maximizing profit off Ronda before she walks away, imo.

After Ronda gets her shot at manufactured greatness they can always bring Cyborg in later to legitimize the division (after Ronda retires either with 2 belts as the greatest fighter to ever live, yada yada yada or after a loss, whichever comes) or jusr dissolve it citing no legitimate top 10.

I don't think it's a coincidence that they've been saying up until 2 frickin' months ago that there's simply not enough talent for that division (and they're right! There isn't!) and suddenly, when Ronda's back this thing comes along.

It's all about making Ronda great again (I'm also pretty sure Dana would love to see Ronda break all of Conor's records too because Conor has become a painful thorn in his backside and would love to see him lose just a tiny bit of smugness).

I feel in my heart  Holly will get hand raise .. but Randemie and her Dutch boxing is a nightmare for  those who may stand with her , dangerous for holly but this will be a legendary encounter 

* Edited at 12.14.2016, 6:46 PM ET *

This is for title ?? **** bout time 

I'm glad the Cyborg division is finally being added, though now it's even weirder that they still don't have 125 for the women. 

@yossgold I agree creating the Featherweight division is all about the profit, though totally don't agree with the Ronda angle.

I will say though If both Ronda & Holly win the belt in their next bouts then Holm vs Rousey II (champ vs champ) would be too tempting an opportunity for UFC to ignore. Then the winner faces Cyborg.

I think we all want to see Holm v Rousey II and also Cyborg fight the elite Bantamweights. Unfortunately the UFC also have to make money, so if the price I have to pay is to watch 2 Bantamweights fight for a Featherweight title then I am OK with it.

The UFC adding a 145 title must have been in the works just prior to Invicta announcing Megan Anderson fighting in the main event of their next card. If she wins that fight, it will be her last fight in Invicta.

With end-of-year awards being annouced I thought I would review this year's results and in compling WBW fighters that has risen in the rankings during the year (see list below) I discovered something which I find amazing, since the start of 2015 (so the last 3 years) de Randamie has had 5 fights booked in the UFC (as per Tapology excludes upcoming fight vs Holm) of which:

• 3 were cancelled (all because she was injured)
• 2 were wins (vs. unranked opponents Pacheco in 2015 and Elmose in 2016, neither of whom is still in the UFC)

Mind blown. To much to ask she fight a ranked opponent before we give her a title shot?

Nunes #4 Up C (3-0) W Shevchenko, W Tate, W Rousey
Pena #5 Up #2 (1-0) W Zingano
Carmouche #9 Up #8 (1-0) W Chookagian
Shevchenko #11 Up #1 (1-1) L Nunes, W Holm
Pennington #13 Up #5 (3-0) W Correia, W Phillips, W Tate
de Randamie #14 Up #10 (1-0) W Elmose
Evans-Smith NR Up #11 (2-0) W Reneau, W Macedo
Davis NR Up #12 (0-1) L McMann (to be fair she was ranked #3 when took maternity leave in 2015)
Smith NR Up #15 (2-1) W Nakai, L Cyborg, W Aldana

Nice pic.

Randamie getting a title shot for beating a couple nobodies is still better than Holm getting one for coming off two losses. Plus it's women's 145, it's not exactly a deep division and may as well be a non existent division if Cyborg failed another drug test.

The Brooklyn card is weak. This fight does nothing for me. I'm not exactly a huge fan of wmma to begin with, but a fw division without cyborg seems almost pointless. No big fights lined up yet. Some good fights, but hopefully 209 comes together so we have a great ppv within striking distance.

The UFC were holding out as long as they could before finally deeming this the main event.

Too many current champs are trying to play matchmaker. Until these insecure paper champs are willing to face the true top contenders in their division, were going to be without a title defense for the for the first half of the year.

Looks like Nunes might be following suit and wanting to fight the winner of this fight next.
  

@mbach i get your stance 100% that was me too ... I was just like ... nah not into it ... especially sometimes when the woman / chick starts getting a bad beating ( GnP smushed up against the cage etc)  it's very ...I dunno I would be more comfortable watching 2 guys pummel each other. But after watching a few Invicta's, and one like Miesha's win over Holly ( reminiscent of Silva Chael 1 ) I will always be in the mood for some wmma ... I can't remember imvicta and wmma ufc fights off tip of my memory, but I remember the feeling ... sometimes I crack a tasteless joke at a crappy wmma fight  but telling you many or most of these chicks/ women come from hard scrabble backgrounds and they are looking to bang ( ala Julian Lane ...) and biggest thing for me is hopefully many young girls are seeing wmma,  in turn inspiring them to take up self / defense martial arts - therefore leading to healthier stronger more disciplined  women - stronger society. True 'female empowerment' - is 'females join martial arts gym / begin health fitness oriented lifestyle'... so that's the biggest thing for me .. its a multi lane street of course if you get me ... but brah there's loads of 145 gladiator chicks out there / incoming ... Sinead Kavanagh and Kayla Harrison to name 2..
.

sorry yeah this fight could become stale mate / feint off, but even then someone has to throw and win - with these ladies striking pedigrees and repertoires  it could be an absolute spectacle to view - if you dislike / meh striking though then yeah ... maybe not... For me I will watch any match any style whatever gender ( preferably if participants are 'world class standard' etc. .. sorry 4 essay [ >_< ]

* Edited at 01.06.2017, 9:05 PM ET *

@wasteland

I get it that they have an opportunity and it's their choice. But it's just not my thing. I watch wmma only because it's on the cards. If there were gender specific cards, I wouldn't watch wmma at all. And it's not that I don't appreciate their abilities or am trying to downplay the talent in wmma. There are absolute warriors there. I know that. It's just not my thing. With that being said, if the UFC continues to put on shows with wmma, I will continue to watch because I love fighting at its highest levels.

@unbeknownst

I didn't realize it until you said it, but there are no champions scheduled to fight. Not just that, but I don't think there are any #1 contender fights lined up right now either. But all will be forgiven if Cody vs TJ and Khabib vs Tony are booked.

I understand completely and respect your view very much man .. I remember thinking what the hell this wmma junk is going to be the death of us all and sometimes still its like we get it ladies we get it .. you would beat the crap out of me in 1 minute, but please let the guys be the ones who spill blood all over the grainy canvas mat, and reconfigure each others faces ... your still beautiful !!! Your still beautiful to me goddammit!!!!

@PilloryChoke so who else currently in the UFC will fight at 145? At first I thought Zingano can't have two 0-2 fighters fighting for a belt, so the only other option is Evans-Smith who like da Randamie has won last 2 fights (controvesial decision vs Reneau and beat Macedo).

Current UFC Fighter (streak)
Cyborg
Holm (2 Losses)
de Randamie (2 Wins, Last loss to Nunes at 135 and also has loss to Budd at 145)
Zingano (2 Losses)
Lansberg (1 Losses, lost to Cyborg)
Evans-Smith (2 Wins, 1st 2 pro fights at 145)

Conclusion: They shouldn't have a title fight until Cyborg is available.
 

The UFC needs to raid Invicta and Bellator's featherweight divisions. That with some of the ladies who will move up from bantamweight, and the bigger girls outside of all the promotions who now have a reason to drop down. That would be a decent enough start to the division.

With Cyborg out for the foreseeable future and Nunes the champion at bantamweight, I could see most of the current bantamweight roster looking at the featherweight belt as their best option for being UFC champ.

It's like the bantamweight division has two official titles now. You need two badasses holding down each division to stabilize them.