UFC on Fox 20: Holm vs. Shevchenko results and post-fight analysis

What a performance by Valentina Shevchenko. She did get dropped in the first round by former champ Holly Holm, but she really dominated their headlining fight other than that. Holm seemed to have no answer for Shevchenko’s hard counter right and fast jab. Most of all, she never found her range. Other than the shot that dropped Shevchenko, Holm rarely connected with anything hard at all. She also gave up takedowns, which is unusual for her.

The women’s bantamweight division is so crazy these days. Ronda Rousey is gone, and who knows if or when she’s coming back. Miesha Tate just got handled by Amanda Nunes, the new champion. Holm, herself a former champion, just got defeated by a women that’s really better suited to fight at 125 pounds. It’s nuts. Who knows what will happen next, and that’s what makes it so compelling.

Edson Barboza is just a monster when he’s given the space to work. His leg kicks are unbelievable, and he’s just so fast. With that being said, it’s plainly obvious that his chin is still his biggest weakness. Gilbert Melendez has never been known as a huge hitter, and was basically fighting on one leg for most of the fight, yet he managed to hurt Barboza twice. It’s always going to be the thing that keeps him getting to the UFC lightweight title as far as I’m concerned. As for Melendez, he couldn’t do much on his bum leg after Barboza …

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