UFC 239 fight card primer: Amanda Nunes vs. Holly Holm
Amanda Nunes will attempt to defend her bantamweight title against Holly Holm in the co-main event of UFC 239.
In the co-main event of UFC 239, Amanda Nunes (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will attempt to defend her bantamweight title for the fourth time against former champion Holly Holm (12-4 MMA, 7-0 UFC). Holm is ranked at number-two at 135-pounds, with only Germaine De Randamie being ranked ahead of her. The main card will air live on PPV via ESPN+ starting with a fight time of 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT, with the ESPN prelims beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET and 6:15 p.m. ET on Fight Pass.
How do these two stack up?
Nunes: 31 years old | 5’8” | 69” reach
Holm: 37 years old | 5’8” | 70” reach
What have these two done recently?
Nunes: W - Cris Cyborg (KO) | W - Raquel Pennington (TKO) | W - Valentina Shevchenko (SD)
Holm: W - Megan Anderson (SD) | L - Cris Cyborg (UD) | W - Bethe Correia (KO)
How did these two get here?
Since being defeated by Cat Zingano in late 2014, Nunes has gone on an impressive eight-fight winning streak. Her one-round beatdowns of Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey were followed up by a close encounter with Valentina Shevchenko, which saw the Brazilian defend her title by split decision. Any criticisms of Nunes’ chronic sinusitis in which fans gave her a rough time were shut down in her next two fights. A five-round beatdown of Raquel Pennington in May of last year, and a stunning 51-second KO of Cris Cyborg to win the women’s featherweight title last December.
Since her career-defining upset win over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in which she won the current title Nunes holds, Holm has really struggled to put together a string of consistent wins. Three straight losses to Tate, Shevchenko and Germaine De Randamie raised questions whether Holm was a one-hit-wonder, but since then she has won fights against Bethe Correia and Megan Anderson. The odds-makers have Nunes as the hefty favourite, so the question is whether Holm can yet again pull off a massive upset.
Why should you care?
Regardless of the odds, Holm’s striking credentials could certainly pose a huge risk for Nunes in this title fight.