Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to FOX for a thrilling mixed martial arts (MMA) event yesterday (Sat., July 23, 2016) in Chicago, Illinois, as UFC on FOX 20 gave fight fans — who packed into the United Center– a wild night of action.
In the main event of the evening, Valentina Shevchenko outclassed former women’s Bantamweight champion Holly Holm to shocked the mixed martial arts (MMA) world (video highlights here).
The co-main event provided combat fans with a thrilling bout, as Edson Barboza continued his winning ways by outstriking former Strikeforce Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez to earn a unanimous decision win.
Biggest Winner: Valentina Shevchenko
“Bullet” was by far the biggest winner of the night, upsetting the former women’s 135-pound champion Holly Holm. More importantly, Valentina used her kickboxing and muay thay skills to beat “The Preacher’s Daughter” on the feet. For five rounds, Shevchenko controlled the bout with precise time, accurate striking and patience.
The HUGE win many not yet catapult her into a title fight — at least not according to to Amanda Nunes — but it puts her a bit closer. That said, a fight against Julianna Pena — who is coming off a big win over Cat Zingano at UFC 200 — should be in order to determine the rightful owner of the next title shot.
Runner up: Edson Barboza
The Brazilian standout picked up his second impressive consecutive win over a former champion after dominating “El Nino” for 15 minutes. Coming off a win over former UFC 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis, Edson has proven he deserves to be mentioned along with the top Lightweights in the world.
And he also showed once again his leg kick game is second to none.
Biggest Loser: Holly Holm
Her comeback bout didn’t turn out like she expected after running into a very tough “Bullet.” With back-to-back losses, Holly’s quest for the title has taken a big hit. Now, she finds herself in a huge hole, and getting out won’t be easy, as the 135-pound field has proven to be rather competitive over the last few months.
A fight against Cat Zingano, who is also on a two-fight skid — looks to be in her future. But, Joe Silva and Co. could ultimately decided to giver her anther go-around against “Cupcake.”
For complete UFC on FOX 20 results, including play-by-play updates, click here.