Holly Holm on UFC 208 145-pound title headliner: Each division has to start somewhere

[Freeloading Rusty]

“I know that right now, it’s the start of the division,” said Holm (10-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) of her inaugural women’s featherweight title bout at UFC 208 against Germaine de Randamie (7-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC). “But there are so many girls that want the opportunity.

“I guarantee you they could build a division in no time. They’ve just got to make some phone calls.”

The promotion already had made the most obvious one even before Holm agreed to sign on against Randamie. Invicta FC champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (17-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was a lock to fight for the inaugural belt, but citing the effects from a brutal weight cut in her previous bout, she turned down multiple offers. Then her career came to an abrupt halt with a failed drug test.

Holm and de Randamie welcome the prospect of meeting Justino down the line. But right now, they’re pushing for gold as would any fighter.

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” Holm said. “I know they’re already talking to other girls. Maybe the full roster hasn’t been set up yet. We’ll leave it up to the promotion, because that’s what they do.”

Invicta FC has already sent one champ to the UFC, and another could theoretically make the jump. Just this past month, the all-women’s promotion crowned a new interim featherweight champ in Megan Anderson (8-2), who knocked out Charmaine Tweet (9-6) for her fourth straight win.

“Hey, Dana White,” Anderson said after her win. “You tell Holly and Germaine to keep my belt warm because I’m (expletive) coming for it.”

Former champ Holly Holm on UFC 208 145-pound title headliner: Each division has to start somewhere

 

[Ryann Von Doom]

yeah it does.. too bad it's on someone coming off 2 losses in a row at 135. She doesn't deserve this title fight.

 

[Freeloading Rusty]

yeah it does.. too bad it's on someone coming off 2 losses in a row at 135. She doesn't deserve this title fight.

Not the first time a fighter has been given a title shot after coming off a loss.

Too bad Cyborg fucked up so bad.

 

[Ryann Von Doom]

Not the first time a fighter has been given a title shot after coming off a loss.

Too bad Cyborg fucked up so bad.

Not "A LOSS," but back to back losses. She doesnt deserve it.

 

[Freeloading Rusty]

Not "A LOSS," but back to back losses. She doesnt deserve it.

I hear you... But 'deserve' isnt a word in the UFC vocabulary these days.

 

[Ryann Von Doom]

I hear you... But 'deserve' isnt a word in the UFC vocabulary these days.

yeah.. I cannot wait to see the shitty ppv numbers. She isn't a draw other than "she beat ronda."

 

[Freeloading Rusty]

yeah.. I cannot wait to see the shitty ppv numbers. She isn't a draw other than "she beat ronda."

I dont think the numbers will be anything special but Anderson being on the card might give it the bump it needs.

 

[Ryann Von Doom]

I dont think the numbers will be anything special but Anderson being on the card might give it the bump it needs.

I'm guessing 100k at most.

 

[member 1013]

When will WMMA crawl back into the crevice from whence it came

I know im a big meanie

 

[BJJMMA]

Not "A LOSS," but back to back losses. She doesnt deserve it.

Kind of like when they gave Couture a shot at the HW strap after going 2-3 over his last 5 at LHW.

It's not unprecedented for the UFC to just throw names at belts to create interest. Crap they did it with Hendo (and I was 100% for it) not 5 months ago. Conor got a shot after going 1-1 against a guy not even ranked in the top 5 at lightweight.
Fact. Holly pulled big numbers against Schevchenko. I don't think the PPV hits huge but it's good for the UFC and building this division if Holly wins. She's the name. It's simple marketing.

 

[Robbie Hart]

yeah.. I cannot wait to see the shitty ppv numbers. She isn't a draw other than "she beat ronda."

If they market it correctly to the ninja warrior and bachelorette's audience, it may break Ppv records

 

[Atto]

wooohoo Megan coming to the ufc

 

[dacofty]

3-2 with 2 straight losses vs 3-1 wins over no names and Kedzie for the UFC featherweight title... this will always beknow as the Pee Wee Herman of title fights. Neither deserve the fight but dana is being dana

 

[Chromium]

You know, it's strange, they're crowning a champion, which should imply that they're going to make a division in order to build up contenders, but they haven't signed a single outside fighter. On top of that, there's only a very few fighters at BW who would plausibly want to go up (Ashlee Evans-Smith, and, uh.... maybe Sara McMann if she were given some incentive, I dunno).

I know there's not a lot of free agents out there to choose from, but the UFC hasn't signed anyone. If they'd signed Megan Anderson, Cindy Dandois, Latoya Walker, Amber Leibrock, and Helena Kolesnyk or something like that, I'd believe they were taking things slow, but were legit serious about it.

But they haven't signed anyone. I wonder if they're considering just killing the division if the fight is a draw or No Contest, and are just waiting on that.

 

[nuraknu]

You know, it's strange, they're crowning a champion, which should imply that they're going to make a division in order to build up contenders, but they haven't signed a single outside fighter. On top of that, there's only a very few fighters at BW who would plausibly want to go up (Ashlee Evans-Smith, and, uh.... maybe Sara McMann if she were given some incentive, I dunno).

I know there's not a lot of free agents out there to choose from, but the UFC hasn't signed anyone. If they'd signed Megan Anderson, Cindy Dandois, Latoya Walker, Amber Leibrock, and Helena Kolesnyk or something like that, I'd believe they were taking things slow, but were legit serious about it.

But they haven't signed anyone. I wonder if they're considering just killing the division if the fight is a draw or No Contest, and are just waiting on that.

Maybe they are contacting gyms trying to work out a possible tuf cast for the next title shot.

 

[dacofty]

Kind of like when they gave Couture a shot at the HW strap after going 2-3 over his last 5 at LHW.

It's not unprecedented for the UFC to just throw names at belts to create interest. Crap they did it with Hendo (and I was 100% for it) not 5 months ago. Conor got a shot after going 1-1 against a guy not even ranked in the top 5 at lightweight.
Fact. Holly pulled big numbers against Schevchenko. I don't think the PPV hits huge but it's good for the UFC and building this division if Holly wins. She's the name. It's simple marketing.

I think this was just a ploy to create another division so when ronda came back she could go up and maybe be 2 division champ. I do not think the UFC is serious with the 145. It will be the less talked about or promoted division now that ronda has left again.

 

[BJJMMA]

I think this was just a ploy to create another division so when ronda came back she could go up and maybe be 2 division champ. I do not think the UFC is serious with the 145. It will be the less talked about or promoted division now that ronda has left again.

Maybe. Here is what I think. We are all suckers. We all watch even though we don't admit it and they can sell as many divisions as they want. WMMA is probably the most popular women's sport so I fully expect them to keep expanding it. Maybe one day we will have a heavyweight women's division.

 

[GSPTrainingInAPool]

WMMA is probably the most popular women's sport so I fully expect them to keep expanding it

Totally this! No where else do you have women and men competing professionally at the same event (to my knowledge) women's hockey, soccer, basketball or whatever is only broadcast during the Olympics. Women's curling is pretty popular here in Canada but other than that I never come across women sports while channel cruising.
WMMA is still an untapped market with much more potential to come imo.

 

[Onetrickpony]

This fight could end very badly for Holm.

 

[kneeblock]

Germaine will beat Holm and Cyborg.

Easily.