There are some who have criticized the UFC’s decision to grant Holly Holm the next crack at Amanda Nunes’s bantamweight championship at UFC 239. After all, Holm has lost four of her last six fights and is currently not on a winning streak. But Amanda Nunes attempted to shut down this narrative by speaking up for her opponent this weekend, insisting that Holm is indeed deserving of the title shot (Transcript via MMA Fighting):
“Holly has fought the best of the division,” Nunes told Brazilian reporters in a media scrum. “Coming off losses or not, she has headlined several shows, fought Cris and put on a really tough fight, beat Ronda. She wasn’t on a good streak, but if you look at the division when this fight was done, there was no one else to fight. There’s a history with Holly, she was a boxing champion, a former champion in the UFC, so if you think about it it’s a good choice to defend my belt.”
Résumé aside, there are some similarities shared between these two women that makes this the fight to make according to the bantamweight champion:
“We both are the only women that beat Ronda Rousey,” Nunes said. “There’s a history involved. Holly and I always were the underdog in our fights, so there’s a history. I think it’s a fight that makes sense and it’s going down Saturday and it will be a great show for everybody. Right after that, we’ll have a new contender and the story will continue.”
Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes both defeated Ronda Rousey by using superior striking. So what will it look like when these two strikers go toe to toe in the T-Mobile Arena?
“I’m prepared for every moment of the fight,” Nunes said “It’s possible that she could some to strike with me, but also close the distance and grab me to lower my cardio using her clinch and her strength close to the fence. She stays strong in every round, but I’ll also be ready in every round. I’ll be alert for everything. That will be very dangerous for her because I’ll be sharp when she gets in a good range, and I definitely won’t miss it.”
Do you believe Holly Holm is deserving of her UFC 239 title shot?
