Back in 2015, when Holly Holm rusted Ronda Rousey at UFC 193, even though Rousey was massively favored against the former boxing champion Holm. Despite being a massive betting underdog in that bout, she manages to take down Rousey with a head kick.
Being said that, at UFC 219 odds will be no different. Fans will able to see greatest of all time Cris Cyborg will put her women’s 145-pound belt against former bantamweight champion Holly Holm. But according to Miesha Tate who dethroned Holm said, former bantamweight champion might be the most intriguing stylistic matchup for Cris Cyborg.
Recently speaking with MMA Tonight on SiriusXM Rush, Former champ Miesha Tate said Holm is the best fighter to stop unbeatable Cristiane Justino.
“Of anybody that I can think to fight Cyborg to right now, that has the best chance, I honestly, truly believe that it is Holly,” said Tate.
“The reason I say that is, if Cyborg can’t get ahold of Holly, if she recklessly chases her down – similar to how Ronda did, not using the correct angles – if she follows her like a missile – which she does in every fight I’ve ever seen before, that’s how she hunts girls down because she can – with holly, that’s not a good idea. She can cut through those angles. She’s an amazing counter striker and if she lands that head kick, I think she can put anybody away. So stylistically, this makes for a really, really interesting fight.”
After a landmark victory over Ronda Rousey, Holm has some rough patch, lost to Miesha Tate in the fifth round at UFC 196 in March 2016. On the same year, Holm faced Valentina Shevchenko and lost the bout via unanimous decision at UFC on Fox 20. Holm has since righted the ship and knockout Bethe Correia in June at UFC fight night.
.@MieshaTate tells @RJcliffordMMA & @OfficialAJHawk that Holly Holm right now has the best chance out of anyone in women's #MMA to beat Cris Cyborg, that Cyborg's usual strategy needs to be adjusted for this fight, & that if Holm connects with the right leg kick she'll get the W. pic.twitter.com/Ti2so9BwbQ
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) November 22, 2017
Miesha “Cupcake” Tate acknowledges that Cyborg will have a strength advantage at UFC 219, but getting to use that against Holly Holm can be easier said than done.
Holly Holm has great hands and elite footwork, if she manages to tap down Cyborg, then she is without a doubt one of the best female fighters on Earth. Cyborg’s most recent win was over Tonya Evinger via TKO in the third round.
“If Cyborg gets ahold of her and throws her down to the ground, obviously Holly’s in trouble. She’s in big trouble. But I can truly attest to how amazing Holly’s footwork is and just how difficult she is to get ahold of, how hard it is to do that. You really have to throw everything to the wayside just to try to grab her. I think I got two takedowns on her in our five rounds and I’m smaller. I think I’m a little speedier than Cyborg is even. Cyborg’s really, really strong but she’s not necessarily the fastest woman in the world. She doesn’t tend to shoot a lot out in the open so I think to press Holly against the cage or to overwhelm Holly is going to be a difficult task, I really do.”
Former champ Holly Holm is facing Cris cyborg on December 30 at UFC 219.
