Breaking down Nunes vs Holm and what it means for WMMA
On Saturday, July 6th, UFC returns to the T-Mobile Arena in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. Jon Jones will defend his light heavyweight tile against the dangerous, Thiago Santos, in the headliner. In the co-main event, two of the best women will collide as double champ, Amanda Nunes, will defend her bantamweight title against former bantamweight champion, Holly Holm. Both women are already considered two of the best females to ever lace up a pair of gloves, but have yet to cross paths until now.
Styles make matchups.
When it comes to their style, Holly will give Nunes some trouble. Holm’s ability to hit and move because of her boxing background will play into a factor in this fight. In her fight against Cris Cyborg, Holm did some things that would have given any other women issues. Cyborg’s ability to overpower Holm is what ultimately led to her dominating that fight.
As for Nunes, she has a style that is straight in your face with skill. She is very good at moving and finding her angles, planting those feet at the right time to land those devastating shots. I am a huge believer that style make fights and I don’t think Nunes will be able to find and finish Holly. I do think she can overwhelm her and be bigger and stronger, but if Holm can use that stick and move mobility she uses, she should be able to stay away from the power and possibly set up a huge head kick.
Is Amanda Nunes already the female GOAT?
I have gotten a few different responses.
Some people yes, they think with the body of work Amanda has done, she should already be the greatest women fighter of all time. Here is a list of the body work Amanda Nunes has done since UFC 200:
- Miesha Tate who she defeated by rear-naked choke to win the bantamweight title.
- She beat the incredible and iconic Ronda Rousey by devastating fashion.
- Went on to dominate both Valentina Shevchenko and Raquel Pennington, who she ultimately finished.
That was just the beginning of her rise, as Amanda got booked to fight the UFC featherweight champion and the most feared woman in all of MMA, Cris Cyborg. Amanda made history by dethroning the legend, knocking her out in the first round and becoming the first women’s two-division champion.
So to answer the question, Nunes is not yet the female GOAT. If she beats Holm, then there should be no doubt in the public eye.
What happen if Holm beats Nunes?
If Holly beats Nunes, it will be another huge upset for her resume. Holm has the possibility to become the first 2x bantamweight champion at IFC 239. She is a fighter who has beaten and fought the UFC’s best, and in multiple divisions. If Holm wins come International Fight Week, it could set up a rematch at 145 or we could see Cyborg vs Nunes again at 145 pounds.
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The Scrap’s Hiram Alvarado is a full-time father fromΒ Massachusetts who loves to watch and cover mixed martial arts. Follow Hiram on Twitter (@hiramwritesmma).
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