UFC on Fox 20 goes down Saturday from The Windy City, also known as Chicago, Illinois.
Chicago is also known as The City of Broad Shoulders. That image might have some traction in the camp of one Holly Holm, who appears to be carrying most, if not all, of this card on her shoulders.
It’s a perilous position for Holm, who shocked the world with her knockout of Ronda Rousey in November 2015 but lost the UFC women’s bantamweight title in March to Miesha Tate. Tate, as you’ll recall, lost the title in her first defense to Amanda Nunes just two weeks ago at UFC 200.
In this main event, Holm faces a virtual unknown in Kyrgyzstan native Valentina Shevchenko. If she wins, she’s back on track. If she loses, she’ll be relegated, at least for a while, to the discount bin alongside Right Said Fred and Dexy’s Midnight Runners.
Whatever happens, it will happen in the main event on “big” Fox, and with the rest of the card not exactly glimmering with star power, it likely won’t be diluted by another result with more immediate title ramifications.
So what’s going to happen? And what are the stakes for the rest of the four-fight main card? It’s a good thing you have the Bleacher Report MMA predictions team to take you through it all. Craig Amos. Sydnie Jones. Steven Rondina. Nathan McCarter. And myself, Scott Harris. Let’s get it on.