UFC 208 is here, and it goes down tonight (Saturday, February 11, 2017) from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The UFC Fight Pass prelims start at 6:30 p.m. ET while the FOX Sports 1 prelims start at 8 p.m. ET. The main card kicks off on PPV at 10 p.m. ET. The event
UFC 208 is here, and it goes down tonight (Saturday, February 11, 2017) from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The UFC Fight Pass prelims start at 6:30 p.m. ET while the FOX Sports 1 prelims start at 8 p.m. ET. The main card kicks off on PPV at 10 p.m. ET.
The event will be headlined by the inaugural UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship bout between former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie. It will also be the first women’s featherweight bout in the promotion’s history. According to oddsmakers, de Randamie is a -125 favorite over Holm, who is a +105 underdog.
Here are the betting odds:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Inaugural UFC Female Featherweight Championship: Holly Holm (+105) vs. Germaine de Randamie (-125)
Middleweight: Anderson Silva (+135) vs. Derek Brunson (-155)
Middleweight: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (-550) vs. Tim Boetsch (+425)
Light Heavyweight: Glover Teixeira (-230) vs. Jared Cannonier (+190)
Lightweight: Dustin Poirier (-420) vs. Jim Miller (+335)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1, 8 p.m. ET)
Welterweight: Belal Muhammad (+115) vs. Randy Brown (-135)
Flyweight: Wilson Reis (-640) vs. Ulka Sasaki (+470)
Lightweight: Nik Lentz (+250) vs. Islam Makhachev (-300)
Flyweight: Jarred Brooks (-125) vs. Ian McCall (+105)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET)
Featherweight: Phillipe Nover (+158) vs. Rick Glenn (-180)
Welterweight: Ryan LaFlare (-335) vs. Roan Carneiro (+275)
History is in the making Saturday night as the UFC makes its way to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for the very first time for UFC 208.
The main event, featuring former bantamweight champion Holly Holm vs. former kickboxing/muay thai world …
History is in the making Saturday night as the UFC makes its way to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for the very first time for UFC 208.
The main event, featuring former bantamweight champion Holly Holm vs. former kickboxing/muay thai world champion Germaine deRandamie, is being overlooked as a money-grab fight for the company’s new owners. After all, how many casual UFC fans had heard of De Randamie leading up to this fight?
This fight card is for the diehard fans, and that’s how it should be.
Holm has the unique opportunity to become the first female two-division champion, despite losing two consecutive bouts. For De Randamie, this is her opportunity to show the UFC and its audience she’s a star and become a headlining act for years to come.
How Holm wins
In all honesty, the UFC isn’t doing Holm any favors by putting her in a cage against a monster like De Randamie. By essentially feeding the 35-year-old to a much more skilled striker, the UFC is sacrificing one of its few female moneymakers in hopes that the fans will respond positively to De Randamie. It’s a risk, but the UFC has to do what it can while its superstars are on hiatus.
Holm has, predominantly, been the superior boxer and kickboxer in every matchup she’s had inside the Octagon, with the exception of Valentina Shevchenko.
The American cannot do what she does best in this fight against De Randamie for one simple reason: The Dutchwoman can out-strike Holm in every aspect of her game.
For Holm to have any chance at winning the 145-pound belt, this fight will have to go to the ground, which may seem hard to imagine—the last time one of her fights went to the ground, she was choked out by Miesha Tate.
Holm is not a world-class grappler by any means, but De Randamie is inferior on the mat. By taking the Dutch striker off her feet into a world of combat she is not comfortable in, Holm will have her best chance to get the finish or earn a decision.
How De Randamie wins
This may seem quite simple, but all De Randamie has to do is avoid getting taken down by Holm and not overcommit on any punches or kicks. By fighting within herself and to her capabilities, there’s little doubt De Randamie shouldn’t run Holm over.
The Dutchwoman isn’t afraid of getting hit, which has been evident in her past UFC fights. This can be a good or a bad thing. It’s good because she shows no fear inside of the Octagon, but it’s also bad because she may leave herself vulnerable to counterstrikes and get finished, like she did against the current 135-pound champion, Amanda Nunes.
While Holm has excellent kicks and straight punches, De Randamie‘s muaythai is off the charts. Not only can she box, but she also knows when to deliver body blows with a vicious knee or body kick to stun her opponent.
This isn’t rocket science for De Randamie. All she has to do is stay on her feet and do what she does best.
Prediction
It’s hard to imagine Holm will lose three fights in a row, but unfortunately, that is her new reality. She will not make history Saturday night, despite a good showing.
Holm will be wrongly labeled as a one-hit wonder in the UFC after knocking out Ronda Rousey, but the fight game isn’t about being fair; it’s about winning.
De Randamie will become the company’s first-ever 145-pound champion and will likely take on Cris Cyborg if she is given an exemption from her suspension.
The Dutch contender will make history and finish Holm in the second round with vicious hooks and knees to the body that will make Holm reconsider her move up the featherweight division.
With the victory, the UFC will have a new star to promote in De Randamie, who has the personality and fighting ability to take her game to the next level. Who knows, maybe even a superfight/rematch with Nunes could be on the table within the next year?
Cyborg may be challenging for the women’s featherweight title after all. Watch out Holly Holm or Germaine de Randamie. After being flagged by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for a potential violation, UFC President Dana White tells ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that the Brazilian powerhouse’s case is ‘looking really good’ (quotes via The Score): UFC
Cyborg may be challenging for the women’s featherweight title after all. Watch out Holly Holm or Germaine de Randamie.
After being flagged by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for a potential violation, UFC President Dana White tells ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that the Brazilian powerhouse’s case is ‘looking really good’ (quotes via The Score):
UFC 208 Winner Will Likely Face Cyborg
“I truly believe that whoever wins this title on Saturday night will fight Cyborg for the title,” said White.
The announcement comes on the cusp of the inaugural female 145-pound title bout between former bantamweight champion Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie. The two women will collide in tomorrow night’s (Sat. February 11, 2017) UFC 208 pay-per-view (PPV) main event from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Cyborg was originally planned to be a part of the historical contest, however, she was unable to take part due to inability to make weight on time after multiple offers from Dana White. Justino is the featherweight champ over at Invicta FC but has since made her UFC debut with a thunderous presence with back-to-back knockout victories. Currently, Justino is regarded as the best female fighter at 145 pounds, arguably at any weight.
Cyborg Might Be Back Very Soon
Her last win came via second round TKO stoppage this past September in the main event of UFC Fight Night 95’s main event from Brasilia, Brazil against Lina Lansberg.
Prior to finally making her UFC debut Cyborg was viewed as the most dominant female MMA combatant in the world, and if she is able to get past her USADA struggles soon, she’ll get the opportunity to solidify that moniker against some of the best competition the world has to offer.
How do you think Cyborg stacks up against the likes of Holm, De Randamie, and current women’s bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes?
The UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship is up for grabs for the first time on Saturday, as Holly Holm looks to break her two-fight losing streak against Germaine de Randamie in a battle between two of the world’s most elite strikers.
Holm was the 13…
The UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship is up for grabs for the first time on Saturday, as Holly Holm looks to break her two-fight losing streak against Germaine de Randamie in a battle between two of the world’s most elite strikers.
Holm was the 135-pound champion before she was dethroned by Miesha Tate via submission in March and then lost to contender Valentina Shevchenko after a three-round decision in July. For De Randamie, this is a huge opportunity to take down one of the biggest names in women’s combat sports while cementing her legacy by becoming the first 145-pound champion in the UFC.
UFC 208 Information
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
When: Saturday, Feb. 11
Time: 10 p.m. ET3
TV: UFC Pay-Per-View
Prelims: Fight Pass, Fox Sports 1
Main Card, Odds and Predictions
Main Event Prediction
In a matchup between two of the world’s best strikers, anything can happen. It only takes one straight punch, knee, elbow or kick to take down an opponent, so don’t be surprised to see a finish Saturday night.
If you believe De Randamie’s strategy will be moving forward and swinging for the fences, this fixture could be over before you know it.
She suffered a TKO loss to the 135-pound champion, Amanda Nunes, but that won’t stop De Randamie from forcing the issue against a fighter like Holm, who has more range and kicking ability than Nunes.
This is a classic “anything you can do, I can do better” matchup. Holm is the more renowned fighter and has the notch on her belt for becoming the first woman to defeat Ronda Rousey inside of the Octagon—and in such dominant fashion too. But for those sleeping on De Randamie, underestimate her at your own risk.
A former world champion kickboxer, De Randamie has the ability to out-strike, overpower, outmaneuver and outclass Holm on the feet.
Maybe that’s why Holm has been working on her grappling and jiu-jitsu so much, as seen in the UFC’s Embedded series.
Look for Holm to circle around De Randamie, looking for an opportunity for a quick takedown. Holm should have a game plan to take this fight to the mat, where she does have an advantage. But as the great Mike Tyson—and most recently, De Randamie, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports—once said: “Everybody has a plan…until they get hit in the face.”
This fight will go into the second round after a less than stellar first round that sees a lot of feints and no real aggressiveness. Holm will most likely finish the first at 10-9 on the cards after scoring a takedown or two, but that will be the highlight of the night for the former bantamweight champion.
De Randamie will come out with something to prove in Round 2 and will set up a right hook that will stun Holm. The American will then begin to trade blows with De Randamie, which is a big mistake.
Look for De Randamie to tag Holm with another hook that will put her up against the cage. From there, it’ll be De Randamie’s fight to lose, as she begins to deliver vicious knees to the body combined with uppercuts to bring Holm to her knees, at which point the referee will stop the fight.
Prediction: De Randamie defeats Holm in Round 2 via TKO.
This Saturday night (February 11, 2017), the UFC is back on pay-per-view (PPV) with UFC 208 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event, while not wholly gathering a ton of mainstream attention in MMA, will still go down in history due to the fact that the fist-ever UFC women’s 145-pound champion will
This Saturday night (February 11, 2017), the UFC is back on pay-per-view (PPV) with UFC 208 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The event, while not wholly gathering a ton of mainstream attention in MMA, will still go down in history due to the fact that the fist-ever UFC women’s 145-pound champion will be crowned when former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm meets undefeated kickboxing sensation Germaine de Randamie in the main event.
The co-main event presents a potentially hard-hitting slugfest as well when longtime former middleweight champion Anderson Silva returns against bulldozing force Derek Brunson. UFC 208 has certainly had its fair share of criticism for the handling of the women’s featherweight title picture, but nevertheless, the potential for some great MMA action still awaits.
Find out whom we picked to win the main bouts at UFC 208 below.
Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie:
Mike Drahota:
I’ve seen many picking Holm based on her superior level of UFC competition and more active schedule compared to de Randamie’s, and I understand where those picks are coming from. However, I just don’t think we’ve ever really seen Holm do anything but play it safe outside of her defining win over Ronda Rousey, and it was clear she had Rousey hurt early on in that bout. There’s no doubting her world-class boxing skills, and de Randamie will certainly provide more opportunities for her to counter-strike than her last opponent, fellow counter-striker Valentina Shevchenko, did, but I’m not convinced Holm has the power or will to let it all hang out and truly put on a show for fans. De Randamie is truly a dark horse here; and one with arguably an equally decorated background in Muay Thai compared to that of Holm in boxing. I think de Randamie makes this fight ugly in the clinch and puts Holm in some bad spots. De Randamie by fourth-round TKO.
Rory Kernaghan:
Although de Randamie has some very nice striking, I don’t see Holm dropping her third fight in a row. ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ is about as seasoned a striker as you’ll get in the MMA world. Although I can’t imagine a devastating head kick KO like we saw against Ronda Rousey, I do think Holm will control the action. ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ has been fighting higher caliber competition, and has the nice, rangy counter striking to frustrate “The Iron Lady.” Holm by decision.
Mike Henken:
I expect this fight to play out on the feet, although it is a difficult one to predict for me. Holm, the former UFC bantamweight champion, is a decorated former boxer and kick boxer, while de Randamie’s strength lies in her Muay Thai. Neither fighter relies much on her grappling, although I’d expect Holm to be more well rounded in that area given the fact that she trains with highly-touted head coach Greg Jackson. “The Preacher’s Daughter” has lost two straight since winning the 135-pound title in Nov. 2015, but de Randamie has faced few fighters of Holm’s caliber in mixed martial arts. I expect the former champion to be the more experienced fighter and to be more acclimated to the pressure of headlining an event and fighting for a title. Of course anything can happen in a bout between two strikers, but I’m going to go with “The Preacher’s Daughter”. Holm by unanimous decision.
Anderson Silva vs. Derek Brunson:
Mike Drahota:
This is truly a hard fight to predict for me, because while it’s nearly impossible not to root for the legendary Silva, he’s clearly seen better days in his illustrious career (it would impossible not to be in that spot at 41 years). However, I also think his demise has been greatly exaggerated, as he’s lost to only champions during his streak of four losses and one no contest, and he also was close to knocking out the middleweight and light heavyweight champions in under six months. Not bad for an old man.
But he’s tasked with a bulldozing one-man wrecking crew in Brunson, a power slugger who’s said he’s going to fight much more patiently after losing an all-out brawl to Robert Whittaker last November. His style is both tailor-made for Silva’s lethal counterstriking and his kryptonite, as we can’t be sure where the aging fighter’s chin is truly at. That makes this an unpredictable and potentially scintillating bout to be certain; one where I can’t help but feel ‘The Spider’ has one last run in him. I think he can still catch Brunson rushing in. Silva by second-round TKO.
Rory Kernaghan:
Predicting Anderson Silva’s fights used to be quite simple. Back when ‘The Spider’ was king of the middleweight division, he was almost like the neighborhood bully who grew quicker than the rest of the kids. Since Weidman, it’s been anyone’s bet, and Brunson has some very threatening tools. Capable of using his wrestling as well as KO power in the hands, Brunson could very well seal Silva’s retirement. Obviously the stand-up is where Silva wants to keep this, but he very nearly came unstuck against Bisping, who rocked and dropped the ex-champ numerous times. Gut feeling pick from me, Brunson with a heart-wrenching knockout in round one.
Mike Henken:
Although I’ll admit that I’m a lifelong Silva fan, I’m not oblivious as to where he’s at during this stage of his career. The 41-year-old former champion hasn’t won a fight since 2012, and he’s lost four of his last five bouts. His chin has clearly deteriorated over time, which may be an issue against the heavy hitting Brunson. Silva has also had issues stopping takedowns, which Brunson could use to advantage. At the end of the day, however, I’m going to pick “The Spider” The Brazilian will certainly need to avoid the takedown as well as the big shots, but Brunson has tended to get wild in the past. Silva has always had success as a counterpuncher, using his speed and incredible timing to catch fighters charging in, which is what I expect to see here. Silva by second-round TKO.
UFC 208 may not have the star power to sell a million pay-per-view buys, but it’s a good card to watch if you’re a diehard UFC fan. For the casual fan, there is no Conor McGregor, no Ronda Rousey and neither of the Diaz brothers are fighting Saturday n…
UFC 208 may not have the star power to sell a million pay-per-view buys, but it’s a good card to watch if you’re a diehard UFC fan. For the casual fan, there is no ConorMcGregor, no Ronda Rousey and neither of the Diaz brothers are fighting Saturday night in Brooklyn.
The main event featuring Holly Holm vs. Germaine deRandamie is not just a token inaugural featherweight championship fight. This matchup is going to be better than people expect. A lot better.
While nearly every fight fan knows Holm‘s name after her stunning knockout victory over Rousey back in 2015, the same can’t be said for deRandamie, who doesn’t have that much UFC experience under her belt. But don’t think for a minute that just because deRandamie is not a household name in the UFC yet means that she isn’t going to give Holm a fight.
The Dutch contender is the real deal, and she can knock out anyone, so it might be a good idea to familiarize yourself with a former kickboxing/Muay Thai world champion.
OddsShark doesn’t see much disparity between the two fighters either. Opening lines had both Holm anddeRandamie at -115, but as of Thursday, deRandamie is a slight favorite at -135 with Holm at +115.
There may not be much hype surrounding this fight, but at the end of the day, it’s a title fight between two of the most fierce strikers in the world who both need a win on Saturday.
After knocking out Rousey, Holm lost her belt to Miesha Tate and then suffered a second straight loss to Valentina Shevchenko. While Tate and Shevchenko are two very high-caliber fighters, a third loss in a row makes Holm a very tough sell for the UFC in a time where they are desperate for stars.
Some fight fans may not remember, but deRandamie actually fought current bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes not too long ago. While she did get finished by Nunes in the first round of that fight, it shows that deRandamie has gone up against some of the toughest female fighters in the game and will be ready to take on Holm in what will be a battle on the feet.
Even middleweight contender and fellow Dutchman GegardMousasi feels that deRandamie has a good shot at beating Holm at UFC 208.
Holm is a world-champion boxer and one of the best kickboxers in the world. Her strength is on the feet, as she can switch stances with relative ease and can pull the trigger and a high kick as fast as she can throw a punch.
The only problem for Holm in this fight, however, is that she’s going up against a fighter who can do everything she can, except just a little better with a lot more power behind her strikes.
Prediction
It would be a bit of a surprise if both women left this fight without getting knocked out or finished. Holm vs. deRandamie may not carry the name value that a PPV card probably should as its main event, but it’s worth paying for as a fan. Why? Because there will be fireworks.
Holm needs this badly to keep her UFC dream and status as a top fighter alive. A third consecutive loss will leave many pundits wondering if she’s just unlucky or if she’s just a one-hit wonder in the UFC. Holm won’t be afraid to exchange with deRandamie as she looks for a quick finish, but the problem is that deRandamie won’t let Holm get that close to her without dishing out some punishment of her own.
Even when she was at 135 pounds, deRandamie‘s power was frightening.
Now add in that she doesn’t have to cut as much weight and drain her body and wear out her muscles, she could be a wrecking ball.
The Dutch contender will circle around Holm and wait for the opportunity to counterstrike and put Holm on her back. It might not even be a bad idea for Holm to pull guard or keep the fight on the mat, because she might actually have a distinct advantage over deRandamie with her grappling and jiu-jitsu.
While Holm is not a high-level grappler by any stretch of the imagination, she is certainly more capable of a submission than deRandamie would be.
But unfortunately for Holm, she won’t break her current losing streak. She will stare down her third consecutive loss and miss out on the chance to become the first 145-pound champion and the first woman to hold two different belts in two different weight divisions.
For deRandamie, she will finish Holm in the second round with a vicious right hook that stuns Holm and puts her against the cage where deRandamie will unleash a barrage of knees and body blows to drop the former bantamweight champion before the fighters are separated by the referee.
Prediction: deRandamie defeats Holm in the second round via TKO.
History is in the making Saturday night as the UFC makes its way to the 
