The hits keep on coming.
Just when you think you can sit down and relax, not worry about a major MMA event, the UFC had to go and bring us another great fight card featuring two of the Women’s Bantamweight division’s best. UFC on Fox 20 is headlined Holly Holm is of course the former champion while Valentina Shevchenko has proven herself to be a tough and gritty top tier opponent in her first two UFC bouts. Both are strikers, both lost their last fights, and both want to get into title contention yesterday. When it comes to Holly Holm’s striking game we can see some clear strengths and weaknesses. For the most part Holm is an outstanding striker, one who knows how to move laterally quite well to set up her strikes on numerous different angles. Being primarily a counter striker, Holm is unlikely to just stand in front of any opponent, not without setting up a trap from them to fall into. Holm can pivot, circle, and out angle her opponents with general ease. Her kicking game is also one not to be underestimated. Her head kick knock out of former champ Ronda Rousey was certainly proof of that. If Holm wants to win this match then she’ll have to use her size advantage and be diligent with her combinations both while moving backwards and when coming in on an angle. Her kicks will do her well in this fight as she can utilize her side kick to keep Shevchenko from running in whenever she wants. For Valentina Shevchenko the key to victory here is being busy with controlled aggression all the way through the match. Shevchenko has some great cardio so she’ll be able to keep up with the champion in the fourth and fifth rounds. The true secret for success is for Shevchenko to attempt takedowns if only to give Holm to think about something other than striking. Shevchenko would also be smart to target Holm’s right leg with left power kicks. Both are orthodox so Shevchenko could use the leg kicks to her advantage as Holm is a fighter that likes to move. Though Shevchenko is extremely talented she may have found herself in a tough spot in facing the former champion. Look for Holly Holm to set up traps throughout the bout and attack from different angles to secure a unanimous decision. Who do you think will be victorious at UFC on Fox 20? Let us know by hitting up our comments below or head on over to our official Facebook and Twitter.
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
