Holly Holm was in fine form tonight at UFC On ESPN 16 against Irene Aldana as she stayed elusive while still landing consistently herself to claim a convincing decision victory.
Round One:
The main event is underway on Fight Island.
Side kick to the body from Holm. Now an oblique kick. Body kick for Aldana. Front kick upstairs attempted from Holm, but misses. Aldana with a leg kick that doesn’t quite connect.
Nice left hand from holm. Inside leg kick for Aldana. One-two for Holm. Two left hands for Holm. Aldana comes forward, but is greeted by a side kick to the body from Holm.
Short flurry of punches from Holm. Aldana pressing forward, but not finding her range so far. She goes for a leg kick. Holm with another short burst of punches and leg kick.
Holm with a left hook. She lands it again and a flurry of punches behind it, then a leg kick. Head kick attempt from Holm, but it’s blocked.
Aldana chasing Holm rather than corralling her at the moment. Side kick from Holm. An uppercut threatened too. More offense from Holm and then attempts a takedown. Aldana does well to stay upright though. Holm settles for clinching her up against the cage.
Final 10 seconds of the round and Holm does get a trip takedown.
Round Two:
Punch misses for Aldana but follows up with an inside kick. Right hand counter for Aldana connects nicely.
Outside leg kick for Holm. Misses with a front kick upstairs. Both ladies let fly with punches without landing.
Nice left hook from Holm knocked Aldana off-balance a little. Side kick to the body from Holm. Another left hand.
Aldana still struggling to find her range against the always moving Holm. Holm misses with a side kick upstairs.
left hand lands for Holm. She presses forward firing off straight punches and ends with a kick. Holm attempts a takedown, but Aldana stuffs it and lands a knee.
Holm again coming forward with punches and closes into the clinch against the cage. Holm working hard for a takedown and does manage to land it in the center of the Octagon.
Holm in Aldana’s full guard, but manages to get to half-guard. Aldana gets butterfly hooks though and pushes her off, then stands as Holm is landing a kick.
Back to striking range. Nice double left hand from Holm and then a side kick to the body. She lands another good one as Aldana was coming forward. Aldana tries to get a few punches off in the final couple of seconds.
Round Three:
Inside leg kick landed with purpose from Aldana. Now a right hand gets through. Flurry from Holm misses. Holm threatens with a head kick, but it doesn’t land.
Holm trying to throw punches off her back foot as Aldana presses forward with even more purpose. left hand for Holm. Aldana with a punch. Holm works a takedown and gets Aldana down to her knees. Holm continues to work and gets her flat on her back in the center of the cage.
Holm in half-guard here, then passes to side control. She’s working a kimura submission now, but Aldana gets out of that. She’s trying to work back upright, but Holm stays on her. Now Holm lands a few body punches and then moves nicely to full mount.
Holm working some nice ground and pound now and even gets a shoulder strike in there too. Aldana almost bumps her off and so Holm goes to side control and lands a few hammerfists before her opponent gets back upright.
Holm immediately pressing forward though and clinches against the cage. They are soon back to striking range though. Left hand for Holm.
Aldana marching forward again trying to catch up with Holm. Holm with the side kick to maintain range. Another side kick connects to the body.
Aldana moving forward faster, but keeps getting nailed by that side kick as she does so as the round comes to a conclusion.
Round Four:
Nice jab for Holm. Aldana trying ot land an uppercut. Side kick from Holm. Now cuffing hooks. Outside leg kick for Holm.
Aldana still hurrying forward, but never really able to close the distance properly against the always moving Holm. She just isn’t able to cut off the cage the way she needs to here.
Nice body kick for Holm. Again the body kick lands. Now a side kick to the midsection. Aldana just can’t find a home for her punches, while Holm’s kicks are frequently hitting the mark.
Holm changes things up by trying for a takedown, but has to settle for clinching against the cage. Holm working hard and gets a nice takedown.
Holm stands over her. Aldana able to use that space to stand up. Body punch for Holm. Head kick from Holm appeared to graze the target.
Side kick from Holm now. Missed hook from Aldana. Two left hand from Holm and a side kick to finish. Now a solid left.
Holm tries for a takedown, but nothing doing this time. Aldana closes the distance briefly and lands a punch that seems to bloody Holm’s nose. Holm with a number of side kick attempts to keep her at bay as the round ends.
Round Five:
Double jab for Holm. She continues to pump that out a she circles away from the always pressing forward Aldana.
Inside leg kick from Aldana, side kick to the body from Holm in response. Another jab lands for Holm. Right cross lands for Aldana.
Body kick for Holm. Now a side kick. Big hooks from Holm. Moe hooks and then a side kick. Now a side kick goes upstairs too.
Aldana wades through strikes to land an uppercut. Hard jab for Holm. Now a straight gets through the guard.
Superwoman punch from Holm. Another side kick top the body. One-two from Holm and the left hand lands clean.
Left hook for HOlm. Aldana with a rare punch landing. Holm does well to land a late takedown here. She’s in Aldana’s guard now land landing a few punches. Aldana kicks her off and get up, but Holm lands a kick upstairs as she does so.
Left hand for Holm with solid power and then another. Aldana wilting a little. Another big left hand for Holm and a kick upstairs too.
Holm now throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the covering up Aldana as she backs her up across the cage. Aldana refuses to go down though despite the onslaught and survives until the final horn.
Decision:
Total domination from Holm then despite often being on the back foot. Aldana just could never find a way to cut off the cage and get into range to land her own strikes and also found herself being taken down at times too. All in all a well earned unanimous decision victory for Holm (50-44, 50-45 x2).
