Nunes vs. Holm at 145

[LockardTheGOAT]

The fight could easily go either way - Holly might outpoint Amanda or land the perfect head kick at the right moment, or Nunes' pressure might make her too tentative and she may end up eating one or more of Amanda's bombs and going to sleep.

Gun to my head, I'd go with Nunes. If she can outpoint a superb striker like Valentina (who defeated Holly herself) twice, then she can beat Holly, plus she's got some serious power and a superior ground game, too.

 

[ScarfaceJr]

that boring ass point fight style where we hear her fighting more?
Nah

 

[pcbh167]

Valentina has much better defense than Holly. Amanda will have any easier time landing

Valentina has very fast reflexes; that's why she doesn't need to move around like Holly does, but she stands in one place, which is why Amanda landed so many shots on her and Amanda didn't have to use much energy. Holly's different; she doesn't stand still and she's constantly moving.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Valentina has very fast reflexes; that's why she doesn't need to move around like Holly does, but she stands in one place, which is why Amanda landed so many shots on her and Amanda didn't have to use much energy. Holly's different; she doesn't stand still and she's constantly moving.

True, but Holly is much easier to counter than Valentina. As long as Amanda gets her timing and goes to counter the ish rush, she'll be fine

 

[MajorTB]

Holly is very durable, and won’t bumrush in like Cyborg did. If she uses her size, strength, and cardio to sap Nunes’ cardio against the cage, she might poetentinally win a decision.

However Nunes’ cardio is significantly better now, than it was... and Nunes is the better boxer for sure. Holly becomes fairly predictable in her fights, and Nunes could just crack her in late round 1 or round 2.

 

[pcbh167]

True, but Holly is much easier to counter than Valentina. As long as Amanda gets her timing and goes to counter the ish rush, she'll be fine

You're right. When Holly throws a strike, she's easy to counter, but Amanda isn't really a counter-striker. I think Muay Thai fighters are the worst match-ups for Holly; that's why she lost to Cyborg, Valentina and GDR.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

If it's a 5 rounder and Nunes doesn't wreck her inside 2 rounds i see Holly getting the decision. Nune's cardio is her weakness and Holly can definitely win on points from activity/volume in the later rounds.

 

[BZeee]

This might be the only interesting match up for a title that the UFC has left. I think Holly might sneak that one out at either weight. Cat obviously gives Nunes a run for her money as well. BW 2019 while JBJ fights Latifi and Stipe fights nobody for the Vacant, holloway vs bums, Khabib Inshalalahlahalha, Whitaker breaks his hand on Gastelums face, Tyron losses to the Great American Winning Machine. There are literally ZERO other good title matchups on the horizon....

 

[TheOldMan]

I just don't see Holly being able to cope with Amanda's power.

 

[Has23]

Nunes wins that fight but HH is the type of fighter who conserves her energy and it almost feels she slows the fight down because she's better defensively where Nunes is better offensively. If they fight,Nunes wins 50-44 Unanimous decision

 

[pcbh167]

I just don't see Holly being able to cope with Amanda's power.

She got hit with some bombs by Cyborg and GDR and she didn't get KO'd; plus GDR hit her with two powerful shots after the bell and Holly was still standing

 

[ArtemV]

Who cares about Holly?

No

 

[kimocomplex]

I would love to see the Holly that gets after it fight Amanda

The Holly that hits and run/ outpoint game plan, not so much

 

[beastman]

Ish ish ish

 

[Ibm]

Yes, Holly and Valentina are the only ones other than Cyborg that would beat Nunes.

 

[TheOldMan]

She got hit with some bombs by Cyborg and GDR and she didn't get KO'd; plus GDR hit her with two powerful shots after the bell and Holly was still standing

I agree completely that she has heart, but after watching Holly run from Cyborgs power for the bulk of the fight I just can't see her escaping the younger and faster Amanda. But who knows right? That's why they fight.

 

[DeeDubb]

Holly can absolutely win, but the fight will suck and it will be horrible for WMMA

 

[soulblighter]

I remember the time when Amanda was just a stud here in Salvador Bahia at Edson Carvalho (me- white belt) (she purple belt)... could never expect that girl would become "Goat" in Woman's MMA...

 

[aerius]

The myth that Holly Holm is a great defensive/elusive fighter needs to die. She isn't. Every good striker she's faced has landed on her at ~50% rate. That is not what I call good defence. She is not hard to hit for fighters who know what they're doing. Amanda Nunes is a good striker who most certainly knows what she's doing.

The problem for Holly is she has poor head movement and always attacks on a straight line. She moves laterally a lot when she's well out of range, but as soon as she commits to an attack it's always straight in & out. This is how Shevchenko, de Randamie, and even Cyborg found her head with clean punches so many times, you simply wait for her to commit and put a punch straight down the middle, or if you're Shevchenko you get fancy and check hook her on the way in.

Nunes will find her head and knock it clean off. Unlike Cyborg, she doesn't jam her own punches and lose power, and she throws in combinations instead of mostly single shots like de Randamie and Shevchenko. As soon as Holly gets hit with the first clean right hand she's going to get flurried on until she goes down. Even if Nunes chooses to slow the pace and point fight, she still wins. She's almost the equal of Valentina when point fighting, which is to say better than Holly. Also, clinch game. Valentina beat Holly in the clinch, Amanda is the only fighter to beat Shevchenko there. Clinch advantage also goes to Nunes.

 

[Slippage]

Holly is actually trying to improve her game if you see her last fight against Megan Anderson. Much more aggressive and even a much improved ground/wrestling game.

I think Holly can beat Amanda, and it'd be a deserving return to a title. Holly is a great fighter that's been on the wrong end of some decisions (should have been champ again against De Randamie, who should have lost several points during the match) and has given girls a lot of tough fights (before Nunes stretched Cyborg, Holly gave Cyborg her toughest fight).