In the main event of tonight’s UFC Fight Island 4, former champion Holly Holm (14-5) took on Irene Aldana (12-6) in a bantamweight contest. Both of these ladies were looking to make their case as a top contender in the UFC bantamweight division.
Both of these ladies came into tonight after winning in their last fight. Aldana had won five of her last six fights including a highlight reel knockout over Ketlen Vieira. Holm came into the contest coming off of a lackluster win over Raquel Pennington earlier this year.
As the main event started, it was very apparent that the former UFC bantamweight champion was there tonight to make a statement. Aldana was looked at as the next challenger to Amanda Nunes‘ title, but Holm was having none of it tonight.
Aldana seemed to be looking for one big power shot early on, but Holm was lighting Aldana up with combinations. Holly Holm used constant pressure and constant flurries to stifle Irene Aldana in the first round. Holm also started mixing in her wrestling late in the first round.
Throughout the rest of the fight, Holm continued to overwhelm Aldana. Whether it was big flurries on takedown attempts, Aldana had no room to breathe. In the third round, Holm got Aldana down and mounted her. Holm was able to land massive shots in the mount.
The confidence level was never there tonight for Irene Aldana. In the final couple of rounds, Aldana tried to push forward, but Holm peppered her with counter shots as she tried. A truly dominant performance for the former UFC champion who won the fight by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-45).
What’s next for Holm after UFC Fight Island 4
Holly Holm made a massive statement at UFC Fight Island 4. There were a lot of people, including myself, who had been down on Holm. Especially after her last performance against Raquel Pennington. However, Holm shut everyone up tonight.
It was a very well-rounded performance from the former champion. So what is next for Holly Holm? Despite the dominant victory, I don’t think that she’s ready yet for another shot at Amanda Nunes. Holm was knocked out in the first round by Nunes at UFC 239.
In my opinion, the perfect fight would be the rematch with Germaine de Randamie (10-4). De Randamie fought earlier in the evening and put Juliana Pena to sleep. These two ladies fought back at UFC 208 and the fight was littered with controversy.
On paper, both of these ladies deserve a title shot. However, given their history with Nunes, it’s hard to build up the fight. I think the UFC should pair these two, and the winner would generate a clear number one contender in the bantamweight division.