Megan Anderson knows Holly Holm’s past as a professional boxer, but that isn’t phasing her as she prepares for their UFC 225 fight. While Holm’s striking prowess has been well documented inside and outside of the Octagon, Anderson plans on utilizing her well-rounded skill set to win this fight.
Anderson a former Invicta FC featherweight champion told Submission Radio, her preparation for Holm bout and getting a spot in the main card: (Via BloodyElbow)
“I think I match up pretty well. I think they’re gonna be very surprised at the changes in my game. And I think Holly is a very skilled athlete and she’s been doing this for a really long time and I can see where people who don’t know about Invicta or haven’t watched a lot of women’s MMA outside of UFC may not know who I am so they kind of jump to the conclusion, ‘Oh, she’s not as tough as Holly, she’s gonna be out-boxed or out this.’
“Well, I’m like, this isn’t a boxing match, this is MMA, this is Mixed Martial Arts, this isn’t one discipline. And Holly tends to really only just fight one discipline when it comes to her fights that I’ve watched in the cage, and that’s where I’m different. I incorporate everything into my game, and people just haven’t seen that yet, and that’s something that we’re really excited to really show, that I’m not just a striker, that my ground game, my grappling is up there as well, and I see me matching up really well with Holly. I’m a lot bigger than her, I’m gonna be a lot stronger, I’m gonna be a lot longer and I’m just excited to showcase that.”
Featherweight champion Cris Cyborg made it clear recently that she’s willing to defend her belt against the winner of the UFC 225 bout between Holm and Anderson than to take on current UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes before exiting from the UFC as her contract with the promotion is set to expire in the near future.
Megan caught wind of those comments made by Cris Cyborg and says she knows she’s a big threat to steal the featherweight title from her.
“I don’t really care what Cris says or Holly says or what this person says, because at the end of the day it’s just Holly and I in that cage, no one else,” Anderson stated. “And all I can control is me and my performance on June 9th, and the rest is all speculation. The rest is all, ‘What if this person wins, what if that person wins?’ That all doesn’t matter until the result of June 9th happens. So, Cris can say whatever she wants.
“You know, A: she’s fought Holly before. She’s fought her and she’s beat her, she knows she can beat her again. I’m unfamiliar territory for Cris. She hasn’t fought me. I’m young and up and coming. I’m improving with every fight, I’m getting better, I’m coming into my prime. I’m a big threat to her, so of course she’s going to say she thinks that the UFC is trying to set up a Holly rematch.
I’ve been underestimated and the least experienced in every single one of my fights, so what’s new? If experience won fights then I’d be on a losing streak, but I’m not (laughs).”
UFC 225 is set to take place at the United Center on Saturday, June 9th, in Chicago, Il.
