MMA: Holm suffers defeat against Shevchenko at UFC Chicago
Haider Yutim
July 24, 2016 07:26 MYT
July 24, 2016 07:26 MYT
Valentina Shevchenko (right) punches Holly Holm during a women's bantamweight mixed martial arts bout in Chicago, Saturday, July 23, 2016. - AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
AMERICAN fighter Holly Holm, the one who tamed female MMA superstar Ronda Rousey last year, lost to Valentina Shevchenko in a unanimous decision at UFC Chicago, Sunday.
Her Peruvian opponent won all of the five-round matchup, scoring 49-46 on all three of the judges' scorecards.
The two fighters, best known for their striking techniques, displayed superior game play -- almost knocking each other out in the first and second round.
The third round, however, saw Shevchenko taking Holm down to the mat and dominating her nearly the entire five minutes.
Holm bounced back in the fourth round with some aggressive strikes but Shevchenko managed to hold them off with her kicks and powerful left hand.
Both fighters continued to exchange jabs in the final round, with Holm desperately looking for a knockout, but it was Shevchenko who succeeded in winning the judges’ decision.
Holm snatched the women’s bantamweight title in November last year after she became the first fighter to win a round against Rousey, a former judo champion from the USA.
But her title was short-lived when she lost to another fellow American, Miesha Tate via submission at UFC 196 in March this year, who then lost her title to Brazilian fighter Amanda Nunes in July.