Holly "spar master" Holm looked OLD..

[crystallake]

She landed hard enough on valentina in the first round to knock her down so I dont think she was in Sparring mode.. Valentina is an excellent counterstriker and did a impressive Job of Controlling the distance with checkhooks, legkicks and combinations so I dont understand why everyone has to blame on holly instead of applauding valentina.

 

[Jedi Judah]

Her stance is fine. She need to commit. Her half ass kicks were frustrating to watch. She was fighting a better striker. She needed to make the fight dirty and keep her pinned against the cage and use dirty boxing to win. Her only advantage in that fight was her strength in the clinch. It would have been boring but she would have got the W.

I disagree, she had the height and reach advantage but because she sits too low it becomes useless. Her stance shortens her reach and kicks, kicking air most of the night

 

[goOb]

Her stance is fine. She need to commit. Her half ass kicks were frustrating to watch. She was fighting a better striker. She needed to make the fight dirty and keep her pinned against the cage and use dirty boxing to win. Her only advantage in that fight was her strength in the clinch. It would have been boring but she would have got the W.

Agreed, no combinations and she stood wight in front of Valentina. Straight in Straight out, no angles at all. Where was all of her movement that setups up the strikes? She looked very bad. I think she just returned from the worst loss of her career and knew this girl would be tough. When Valentina stifled her advance in the second round her confidence went through the floor I bet. What is funny is my father, who was over for my son's birthday called Valentina just by watching the pre fight highlights of the two fighters. He never watches the UFC either, only when I am around and he damn sure called it. I was very impressed with Valentina's confidence and willingness to step up. Holly on the other hand looked off tonight.

 

[mma2013]

holm is OLD. she has alot of mileage on the odometer from her years of boxing and now, mma. her face looks like old wrinkled dried up leather.

 

[DoopidyDawesome]

Nah. No way Ronda has the striking pedigree to repeat what Valentina did to Holly.

Nope, you're right about that and that's not what I'm suggesting. I'm saying that if Ronda doesn't rush in with her chin up, she'll eventually wind up exactly where she needs to be. Holly will then force the action as she did against Miesha and again tonight and will not be able to nullify the superior grappler or striker in Valentina's case.

 

[OneGloveGracie]

She is probably at the end of her physical prime.

Humans reach their physical prime at 21. But they get smarter and more confident with age. And usually the equilibrium of the mental and physical prime is between 27-29. So I think you just mean she is at the end of her overall prime.

 

[BabyBlue_Bomber]

When two strikers fight a striking match, the better striker usually wins. Holm fought a better striker.

 

[JackWhite]

Nope, you're right about that and that's not what I'm suggesting. I'm saying that if Ronda doesn't rush in with her chin up, she'll eventually wind up exactly where she needs to be. Holly will then force the action as she did against Miesha and again tonight and will not be able to nullify the superior grappler or striker in Valentina's case.

Possibly. It's a real intriguing fight. Who knows how Ronda would look if she decides to return to the fight game. And at this point, I don't see Holly getting better or really adding any new tricks to her game, so Ronda could very well beat her. I still think Holly beats her, but probably by decision in a rematch.

 

[Fight Professor]

Humans reach their physical prime at 21. But they get smarter and more confident with age. And usually the equilibrium of the mental and physical prime is between 27-29. So I think you just mean she is at the end of her overall prime.

Why I meant to say is skill and experience can overcome physical decline until you reach a certain age (probably mid-30s). Learning skills deteriorate at that age as well. In short, Holly has reached her peak and will eventually decline just like every fighter in the age group.

 

[platypus44]

As the fight wore on - Holly got cautious due to 1. fear of takedowns, and 2. repeatedly getting hit in the face with crisp rights. She was launching from out of range and missed more kicks than Charlie Brown did when Lucy kept taking the ball away. She was getting gun shy.

 

[Stinger911]

Styles make fights. If you charge at Holly, she puts you in a blender of left straights and left body and high kicks.

If you plant your feet and don't charge her, she tries to pitter patter you to a decision.

Tonight Holly pitter-pattered the wrong woman and ate check hook after check hook for it.

She is like the opposite of Cro Cop. They are both southpaw kickboxers, but Mirko is in his element when he's stalking you down like a tank, making you back up, cutting off the cage so he can land his LHK and control distance. Pressure him and he starts to fold because he can't get the distance to throw kicks.

Holly is completely uncomfortable pressuring and doesn't know what to do when her opponent barely moves forward and times her. She's in her element when you're charging her so she can use lateral movement like a matador, pepper you, and retreat. She relies on you to close the distance for her. This is why she worked Ronda so cleanly. Ronda charges like a bull and Holly fights like a matador. Clearly it's evident that Holly has huge problems closing distance.

It has nothing to do with her "getting old."

 

[platypus44]

Humans reach their physical prime at 21. But they get smarter and more confident with age. And usually the equilibrium of the mental and physical prime is between 27-29. So I think you just mean she is at the end of her overall prime.

In baseball where they have a ton of statistics it is pretty much established that the average peak is 27 or 28 but all sorts of guys peak later due to superb conditioning or the development of new skills. And of course we have the steroid crowd which peaked in its late 30's.

 

[Flokk]

She is probably at the end of her physical prime.

[

 

[ameeksingh]

She is probably at the end of her physical prime.

I got a prime for you right here in my pants. I just hope to vallhalla that you are a female.

 

[platypus44]

It is possible she is aging physiologically a little early and that might have something to do with her performance. One thing I will say is that I have friends in the fight world who told me there was no way in hell that Holm was completely "au naturale" in the Ronda fight. And if that is true, and she has since weened off of it, that could partly explain her recent struggles. There is no question that the current Holm is NOT the Holm that beat Ronda.

I actually think that her problem in subsequent fights is that she trained for two years specifically to fight Ronda and that it has gotten her into some bad habits.

 

[Area809]

She has never looked the fastest. Valentina has fought in lower weight classes and probably naturally faster than Holm.

 

[Pixelated Porn]

Technically she is getting old.. Isn't she like 36?

36 dicks....including yours 37

 

[Ladder Master]

 

[waters]

She's looked exactly like this in every other UFC fight she's had except the one against Ronda, who charged at her foolishly

Exactly! I laughed when I heard she was next in line to fight Ronda! She had a magical night against Ronda, executed a perfect game plan and brought her back to reality. You have to treat every fighter like they deserve to be there (Rockhold). You have to stick with what you know (DC) and get the job done! Holly was more over hyped then Ronda ever was! Tonight we saw the real Holly!

 

[PancraseForever]

To be fair, she fought the shorter, lighter woman.

She was inefficient with me energy.