UFC 208 might not be the biggest PPV card of the year, but it sure has a lot of competitive fights on it, including its main event.
Fighting in the inaugural featherweight championship fight, Holly Holm will take on the Dutch striker Germaine de Randamie.
For Holm, history is on the line. She can become the first-ever female UFC fighter to hold two belts in two different weight divisions. Not only is she looking to make history, she’s also looking to save her reputation after losing two straight fights to elite-caliber fighters.
For De Randamie, she is looking to cement her legacy as one of the most fierce strikers in MMA. There will be fireworks, and it’s all going down Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
UFC 208
What: Holm vs. De Randamie for women’s featherweight title
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
When: Saturday
Time: 10 p.m. ET
National TV: UFC PPV
Ticket Info: ScoreBig.com
Preliminary Cards: UFC Fight Pass (6:30 p.m. ET), FS1 (8 p.m. ET)
Predictions
Both fighters made weight, as Holm and De Randamie actually weighed in under the 145-pound limit.
That’s a good sign moving forward for the UFC, especially in the division’s first-ever fight. The last thing Dana White has to deal with is fighters missing weight for a title fight, no less.
While both fighters seem ready to take the stage to make history, it’s hard not to see a clear advantage for De Randamie heading into Saturday’s main event. For those who don’t already know, the Dutchwoman can strike with the best in the world on her feet with her elite Muay Thai and kickboxing skills.
But more so than just putting on a show for the fans, De Radnamie sees this fight as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and isn’t taking Holm lightly.
As for Holm, she’s focused on becoming a champion again and isn’t letting distractions get in her way. Even if those distractions involve the return of Cris Cyborg.
Per Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie, Holm isn’t concerning herself with Cyborg and hopes to make her own mark on the divisions and the UFC:
When I first signed with the UFC, I had two fights, one fight being Raquel Pennington and then Marion Reneau. In both of those fights, people kept asking me, ‘How long do you think until you fight Ronda?’ I said, ‘Well I have these fights in front of me first, so I have to get through them.’ I know Cris “Cyborg” is definitely the big name for the 145-pound division, but right now with this situation she has going on, I think I’ll just let that pan out.
After watching the weigh-ins, De Randamie looks to be the more relaxed fighter heading into Saturday night, and historically, the more relaxed and confident fighters are usually the ones who prepare the best and are ready to put on a show.
Holm will fight valiantly and will show the UFC that she isn’t just a one-hit wonder after her knockout victory over Ronda Rousey in 2015. Having said that, she won’t defeat De Randamie if this fight stays on the feet.
The Dutch kickboxer is far too skilled and dynamic to lose this fight, and Holm will suffer her third consecutive defeat since winning the title over a year ago.
Prediction: De Randamie defeats Holm in Round 2 via TKO.
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