On Saturday, Oct. 3, Albuquerque’s Holly Holm and Carlos Condit both won their respective fights via unanimous decision.
Holm and Condit both showed Saturday night that they’ve still got more left in the tank and aren’t giving up on their careers just yet. They’ve both had their recent struggles, but their performances give them something to build on.
Holm, who owned a overall fight record of 13-5 going into the fight and is currently ranked No. 2 in the bantamweight contenders rankings, fought the No. 6-ranked contender Irene Aldana, who was 12-5 all time. Holm won the fight in a unanimous decision, securing her 14th career victory.
In round one, Holm looked to take control with a series of combinations. Holm attempted a takedown, but Aldana was able to counter it. Holm continued putting on the pressure by going straight to the clinch and ended the first round with a takedown.
Holm’s focus for the fight was the ground game. In round three, Holm was able to take Aldana to the ground again and then hit her with a series of ground and pound strikes.
Holm didn’t slow down in the final two rounds as she continued to attempt takedowns and apply pressure. Holm never allowed Aldana to gain any momentum and finished the fight with a series of combinations, ending with a total of 5 takedowns throughout the fight.
Holm’s focus now shifts to a potential title opportunity in the bantamweight division. She will look to make the most out of what could very well be the last championship opportunity of her career.
Holm may have to secure one more victory against Germaine De Randamie before she gets a shot at current women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. It’ll be exciting to see what Holm has left to offer.
Unfortunately, Holm has struggled in championship fights since she shocked the world and beat Ronda Rousey in 2015. She has been winless in every title fight since, but after two consecutive victories, Holm looks motivated to take one more shot at getting the title back before retirement.
Carlos Condit, who is 30-13 overall, fought Court McGee to get his 31st career victory.
Things were pretty even in round one with both fighters exchanging a mix of punches and kicks. However, Condit finished round one with a tremendous right hook that knocked down McGee just as the horn went off to signal the end of the round.
That punch dented McGee’s nose, leaving it bent and bloody.
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As the fight went on, Condit looked more confident and was able to continue applying pressure on McGee. Overall, Condit was in control for much of the fight and was able to get back into the win column after a 5-fight losing streak.
We’ll have to see if Condit can find a way to get back into the title picture. It will take a lot of hard work to get there, as he is currently unranked in the welterweight division.
Jesus Mata is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @JesusMataJr99
