Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino retained her featherweight title tonight at UFC 219 with a unanimous decision victory over Holly Holm.
Round One:
The headlining featherweight title fight is underway at UFC 219 in Las Vegas!
Chants of ‘Holly’ from the crowd as they start. Holm lands a right hook as Cyborg moves forward. Cyborg tries for a head kick, but Holm connects with a counter and though it doesn’t seem to hurt her, it knocks the champ off-balance for a moment.
Holm clinches up with Cyborg and holds her up against the cage, but doesn’t try to take her down. Not much happening her and Holm back up.
Holm with a punch, but Cyborg lands a big right hand. Body kick for Cyborg. Now a leg kick. Holm bursts forward with a single punch and then out of range again.
Again Holm comes in and Cyborg is waiting with hooks. left hand for Holm landing lightly. Cyborg with a right hook. Leg kick for the champ.
Jab for Holm. Now a brief flurry. Holm again initating a clinch position. Cyborg landing a knee to the body as Holm gets her to the cage.
It’s not long before Holm reverses out and gets back to range. Holm moving in with a quick burst of punches and Cyborg tags her on the counter. Another clinch from Holm, but not for long this time.
Cyborg patient so far. She lands a leg kick and Holm threatens with a head kick that’s blocked. Superwoman punch for Cyborg to end the round.
Round Two:
A couple of punches from Holm and a leg kick from Cyborg. Cyborg stalking Holm now, but sporting a little blood from her nose. Punch for Holm and a flurry in return from Cyborg.
Holm again with her characteristic burst forward and again the harder blows come back from Cyborg. Big kick high to the body from Cyborg.
High kick for Holm is blocked. left hand for Holm and two in return from teh chmpion. Right hook for Holm. Now she goes into the clinch again and calms things down for a moment. Cyborg roughly shoves her away though.
One punch for Holm, three hooks from Cyborg. Again to the clinch from Holm. These are just like little pauses in the action for her, breaking up Cyborg’s rhythm.
Another brief exchange and then straight back to the clinch from Holm. This time Cyborg manages to reverse the position, but Holm returns the favor, showing that she is not going to be outmuscled by the Brazilian.
Back to the center of the cage Holm goes. Cyborg threatens with a head kick, but it’s blocked. Two-piece combo lands for Cyborg and soon after a body kick.
Short right hand lands for Cyborg as Holm barges into another clinch position in the final few seconds.
Round Three:
Head kick attempt for Cyborg. Now it’s Holm’s turn, disguising it behind punches, but Cyborg is ready for it. Cyborg’s turn to clinch up now against the cage. Holm does well to get out of that, though she eats a knee to the body in the process.
Cyborg still firing off counters when Holm bursts in. Hard straight right for Cyborg. Another strike lands for her. Now Holm connects with a left hand.
Cyborg’s head kick attempt is blocked. overhand right grazes Holm. Knee from teh champion. Side kick to the body from Holm. Head kick threatening from Cyborg. Leg kick for Cyborg.
Good strike connects for Cyborg. Another head kick just misses the always moving Holm. Two head kick attempts blocked by Cyborg. into the clinch Cyborg goes and works knees, but Holm breaks free quickly.
Body kick for Cyborg. Big right hook rocks Holm. She tries to hide it, but she’s unsteady after that one. A couple more punches connect as Cyborg smells blood, but the round comes at the right time for the challenger.
Round Four:
Solid jab lands for Cyborg. Holm connects cleanly. Holm flurries, but eats a right hook. Body kick for Cyborg. Single punch lands for Holm. Head kick doesn’t pay off though. Left hook for Cyborg.
Cyborg with the head kick attempt, narrowly missing. Body kick grazes Cyborg. She responds with a leg kick. Left hand lands for Cyborg, then a leg kick. She comes close again with a head kick.
Front kick to the body for Cyborg. The head kick attempt comes up short. Body kick for Holm lands on the arm of Cyborg.
Holm back into the clinch she was using earlier in the fight and gets a quick breather before backing up.
Cyborg still threatening with the head kick. Holm with punches and a kick that come up short. A punch does then land as she presses forward again immediately afterwards.
Good punch for Cyborg. Holm remaining active, but the heavier, more dangerous strikes are still coming from the champion.
Round Five:
Cyborg still looking relatively fresh heading into the fifth round. Body kick for Holm. Cyborg blocks a head kick. Inside leg kick for Cyborg, a punch and then another kick to the same spot.
Holm threatens with an elbow. Cyborg gets to the clinch. However, Holm reverses the position. As she begins to retreat Cyborg charges forward landing punches and then a body kick.
Hard leg kick landing for Cyborg. Now a straight punch as she also blocks a head kick attempt from the challenger. Big body kick for Holm.
Body kick for Cyborg and then tries upstairs. Holm really trying to muster up all her remaining energy into some kicks and punches, but not quite finding her range.
Body kick for Cyborg. Now a jab. Big right hand. Cyborg steering clear of Holm’s short flurries. This time she times Holm’s forward movement and lands hooks.
Right hand connects for Cyborg. She blocks a head kick attempt. Now the champion presses forward reeling off knees, but Holm stifles her in the clinch. Final 10 seconds and Cyborg blasts Holm with a series of muay thai knees.
Decision:
Holm put up a competitive showing here, but Cyborg showed why she’s champion, looking composed, working well on the counter, landing the heavier shots and showing excellent conditioning to register a convincing unanimous decision victory (49-46, 48-47 x2).
This was one of the biggest challenges of Cyborg’s career to date, but she took it in her stride, and after this victory it seems harder than ever to see her losing her 145lb title any time soon.
