Holly Holm showed off her clinch work and ground game tonight at UFC On ESPN 43 to get the better of Yana Santos on the scorecards.
Round One:
Right hand for Santos and then she aggressively presses forward into the clinch while throwing more punches.
Santos pressing Holm into the cage. Holm trying to work her way out from here, but Santos is battling to stay there. Holm does succeed in turning into her, but Santos soon returns the favor again soon after.
The two continue to jockey for position against the cage and eventually Holm is able to break free while landing an elbow.
Santos lands a couple of inside leg kicks. Now it’s Holm clinching up with her and walks her over to the cage.
It’s a real battle in this clinch as both turn each other into the cage before finally breaking free.
Low kick for Santos. Well-timed left hand for Holm. Holm circles on the outside, but Santos closing the distance and tries to clinch. It’s Holm who gets hold over her and turns her into the cage though.
Elbow strike from Holm as they break apart. Now a front kick from Holm. Left hand for Holm and works a takedown off that in the center of the Octagon. Holm passing to side control and landing a few elbows to the body as the round ends.
Round Two:
Holm with a flurry of punches to start the second round. Low kick for Santos. Santos tries to clinch, but Holm brushes her aside.
Kick to the body from Holm knocks Santos off-balance to the mat. Santos back up and tries to press forward again, but Holm takes her down.
Holm opts to work from half-guard, then gradually steps into side control. Santos looking to land a few strikes from her back.
Holm opting more for control than anything else for now. She’s landing some shoulder strikes as she stays tight to her opponent. Now a couple of right hand for Holm.
Holm traps Santos arm and starts to land strikes. Santos gets her arm back and Holm opts for shoulder strikes again.
Now Holm passes to full mount and looks for more strikes as the round comes to a close.
Round Three:
They are immediately clinching up, but soon break apart. Side kick from Holm. Back into the clinch as Holm walks Santos over to the cage, but then opts to back up.
Santos trying to be aggressive, but her forward pressure again lets Holm secure a takedown with most of the round remaining.
Holm in full mount. Santos gets her back to half-guard. Holm passes to side control. Back into full mount she goes. Santos almost getting half-guard, but then Holm takes her back and thinks about a choke.
Santos goes to her back and gets back to half-guard. Holm with a few punches. Good work from Holm to return to side control.
Holm traps the arm, but Santos starts to work back up and manages to do so. Holm presses her up against the cage.
Holm tries to bring her back down, but Santos stays upright for now. Right elbow for Holm and then backs off.
Santos plowing forward and tries to clinch but they don’t stay there. Holm now driving in for a takedown and lands it with authority. A few punches for her from side control in the final seconds.
Decision:
Good work from Holm here, showing off her maturing skill-set by getting the better of Santos in the clinch on the mat to win by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 x2).
