Holly Holm will have another chance at greatness later tonight (Sat., Dec. 30, 2017) at UFC 219 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, when she steps up in weight and takes her chances against UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.
It’s crazy to think Holm would have the opportunity to knock off the two best female mixed martial artists of all time, yet here we are. After crushing Ronda Rousey back at UFC 193 and shocking the world with a storybook head kick, Holm is in the driver’s seat again to overthrow the most devastating knockout artist in women’s MMA. If Holm is able to defeat Cyborg at UFC 219 and claim the 145-pound crown, there’s little doubt that she’ll go down as the greatest female combat athlete ever, especially considering her background in boxing.
That said, Holm is going to have to be at her absolute best to outsmart and out-punch a proven champion like Cyborg. In addition, Holm is going to have to dig deep to recapture the magic that fueled her performance against Rousey. Considering Holm has lost three out of her last four Octagon appearances, a few things may have to go her way in order for “Preacher’s Daughter” to regain her title fight composure.
Luckily for Holm, Cyborg is a willing opponent. The UFC women’s featherweight champion most certainly possesses a viable ground game, but she ultimately relies on her imposing striking to wear down unprepared foe. That type of aggressive offense plays directly into the countering hands of Holm. Cyborg will give “Preacher’s Daughter” more than a few openings on the feet, so Holm could very well pull off another historic one-strike finish.
We shall see what Holm does against one of the most destructive weapons in MMA today. It’s going to be a tough pill to swallow, but you can never really count the former champion out.