Holly Holm could have made history tonight, going down as the first woman to hold a title in two different UFC divisions.
Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be.
Holm took on reigning UFC Featherweight Champion Cris “Cyborg”, who is arguable the best pound-for-pound female mixed martial artist in history.
Cyborg held the center of the cage and went for a kick early in the first, but Holm took her down. As Cris got up, Holly got some double unders and pressed Cyborg up against the cage, but wasn’t able to do anything from there.
The two met again in the center of the cage. Cyborg tagged her with a big right. She hit a high kick shortly after.
Holm floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, hitting two shots then jumping out of the way. She had no desire to stand in the pocket with the champion.
The two got in the clinch and Cyborg landed a knee, but Holm pressed her up against the fence for the second time. Again, though, she wasn’t able to accomplish anything from there.
They met again in the center and Cyborg chased her around the perimeter.
For the third time, Holm got in the clinch and pressed Cyborg on the fence, but again, nothing came of it.
Cris landed a superman…er…superwoman punch right at the buzzer.
Round 2. There was some serious swelling on Holm’s nose. She stayed light on her feet, though, landing some short side kicks on Cyborg’s leg.
The champion still pushed the pace, though, despite Holly’s frequent attacks. Cyborg was like an immovable object.
More double unders from Holm, and more of nothing.
The two were back in the center. Cyborg didn’t throw much. Instead, she stayed patient, waiting for Holm to come in so she could land a knockout punch.
UNDISPUTED@CrisCyborg #UFC219 pic.twitter.com/1hDqkkYsKj
— UFC (@ufc) December 31, 2017
More of the clinch and Cris landed a knee, but the two went to the center of the cage again.
Holm walked into a body kick from Cyborg before the round ended.
Round 3. Cyborg started out with an early side kick, holding the center of the cage. Nice punch-kick combo by Holm, but nothing.
This time, the champion got the underhooks but Holm defended well. Before she could get away, though, Cyborg landed a huge knee to the body.
The two exchanged some punches and the champion chased Holm around the cage, eventually tagging her with a right. More chasing and a big knee by Cyborg, who at that point landed twice as many strikes as The Preacher’s Daughter.
Less than a minute left and Cyborg missed with a one-two punch and kick. Holm jumped in for some punches but the champion met her with a right-left. She then followed up with more strikes, leaving Holm wobbling at the end of the round.
Round 4. Holm continued with her jump-in-punch-get-out strategy and the champion continued with her immovable object plan.
Holm landed a high kick, but it was blocked. The champion followed with a high kick of her own.
Ninety seconds left in the round and more pressing against the cage from Holm. Again, nothing.
In the last minute of the round, Holm landed some shots, but nothing strong enough to threaten the champion.
Fifth and final round. Holm’s left eye was swollen almost completely shut, but win or lose, she was coming out of this fight as one of the few women who managed to take Cyborg all the way to the fifth round.
Holm also showed no sign of tiring, continuing the strategy she had been using for the four previous rounds.
Still Cyborg landed the harder strikes and seemed to be doing the most damage. Some of her punches looked like they almost took Holm right off of her feet. She was also the one pushing the pace and doing the chasing in the cage.
Holly threw a hook kick but it did nothing to Cyborg. However, she followed up later with some huge jabs that bloodied Cyborg’s nose.
But it just wasn’t enough.
Cris Cyborg won the fight via unanimous decision.
#AndStill the undisputed featherweight champion of the world | @CrisCyborg | Get your UFC merchandise @7Eleven now #Ad pic.twitter.com/hw7spRDwZ7
— UFC (@ufc) December 31, 2017
