The Ultimate Fighting Championship remained on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates tonight for UFC on ESPN 16: “Holm vs Aldana.” The event was headlined by a bantamweight contender’s bout between former UFC champion Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm and Irene Aldana.
In the heavyweight co-main event, Yorgan De Castro took on Carlos “Boi” Felipe. Elsewhere on the featured main card, Germaine “The Iron Lady” de Randamie battled Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña at 135 pounds. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s UFC on ESPN 16 card.
Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm vs Irene Aldana
Round 1:
Aldana tried to close the distance with jabs early on, but Holm circled to her left and stayed outside of Aldana’s range. She threw side kicks to Aldana’s midsection and rushed at her with a series of punches. Aldana covered up and resumed her forward march with jabs. Holm landed another flurry and that set off an exchange of punches. Aldana landed a hard right hand and Holm’s left eye immediately swelled up. The fighters traded punches late in the round. 10-9 Holm.
Round 2:
Holm continued to manage distance very well in the second round and she landed left hands while circling away from Aldana’s punches. Holm landed a hard left hand and she rushed forward with rapid-fire punches. Aldana looked to clinch, but Holm reversed against the cage and she took Aldana down into side control. Aldana fought her way back to half-guard and kicked Holm off, then followed her to her feet. A three-punch combo and a side kick to the body landed for Holm, who circled away from Aldana and landed one more side kick before the bell. 10-9 Holm.
Round 3:
Aldana landed a nice right hand as she chased after Holm in round three, but Holm responded with a takedown and she moved to side control once again. Holm punched to the body and eyed a kimura, then mounted Aldana and rained down punches and elbows. Aldana held on to her and escaped to her feet, but Holm rushed after her with another punching flurry. The fighters circled and Holm landed side kicks to the body as she moved. In the final seconds, Holm landed a quick combination of punches and finished with a body kick. 10-9 Holm. Close to a 10-8.
Round 4:
Holm continued to effectively use side kicks to keep Aldana at bay as the fight entered the fourth round. She attacked Aldana’s right side with kicks and lunged in with a lead right hook. The fighters traded leg kicks and Holm looked for a takedown. She got it on her second try and went to work with punches in Aldana’s guard. Aldana kicked her off and rose to her feet. Holm partially landed a head kick and she followed with a side kick to the face. In the final minute, Holm landed a quick flurry and a hard left hand. Aldana fought off a takedown attempt and she bloodied Holm’s nose with a right hand, but Holm landed two more side kicks before time expired. 10-9 Holm.
Round 5:
The final round began with an exchange of body kicks and Holm avoided Aldana’s punches by using side kicks once again. Aldana did land a nice right hand, but she was unable to follow up and Holm cracked her with three looping hooks. She landed a side kick to Aldana’s face and followed with a straight left hand. Holm snapped Aldana’s head back with a left cross and backed her up with an overhand left before taking Aldana down. Aldana punched from the bottom and kicked Holm off, but Holm landed a huge kick as Aldana stood up. Late in the fight, Holm landed three side kicks and a lengthy combination of punches. She landed one more flurry before the bell. 10-9 Holm.
Winner: Holly Holm by Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-45) after five rounds. She improves to 14-5-0.
Carlos “Boi” Felipe vs Yorgan De Castro
Round 1:
Cautious leg kicks were exchanged early on and Felipe countered a body kick with an overhand right. Both men landed leg kicks again and Felipe fired off another right hand. A hard right hook landed for Felipe and De Castro responded with two leg kicks. A third leg kick staggered Felipe briefly, but he fired back with a right hook. More kicks were exchanged during a relatively uneventful final minute. 10-9 Felipe by a slim margin.
Round 2:
De Castro was much more aggressive in the second round and he landed kick-punch combos early on. Felipe cracked him with a right hook and De Castro responded with two punches before the fighters clinched against the fence. De Castro reversed the clinch and Felipe landed a big knee. De Castro scored with a flurry of punches and Felipe chased after him with left and right hooks. The fighters clinched against the cage, but they were quickly separated when De Castro grabbed on to the cage. De Castro landed a flurry of punches that led to another clinch, which was once again broken up due to a fence grab. In the final seconds, De Castro scored with a flurry to the head and body. 10-9 De Castro.
Round 3:
Big punches were exchanged right away in round three and Felipe backed De Castro up against the cage. De Castro covered up and responded with counter hooks before Felipe clinched with him and held him in place. Referee Kevin Sataki separated the fighters almost immediately and De Castro shot in for a takedown. Felipe defended and the fighters were separated again. Once more, De Castro clinched and once more the referee separated them. This continued to happen over and over again as Felipe grew more and more frustrated. In the final minute, Felipe landed a knee and counter elbows over the top. Little transpired before the bell. 10-9 Felipe.
Winner: Carlos Felipe by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 9-1-0.
Germaine “The Iron Lady” de Randamie vs Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña
Round 1:
De Randamie jabbed and circled to her left in the opening minute. She threw a head kick and wobbled Peña with a right hook. Peña recovered and pressed forward with punches, but de Randamie avoided a clinch and circled away. She connected again with a hard right hook and landed two more in a subsequent exchange. Peña used her jab to press forward and de Randamie cracked her with another counter right hook. Peña caught a body kick and clinched in search of a takedown. De Randamie defended well and stayed on her feet until Peña dragged her down just as the round ended. 10-9 de Randamie.
Round 2:
Peña rushed in and landed a hard left hook that led to an exchange of power punches to begin round two. She clinched with de Randamie against the cage and worked for a trip takedown. Peña got de Randamie down and she tried to pass to half-guard. De Randamie kept her trapped in full guard and both women landed elbows on the ground. Peña flurried with punches and de Randamie responded with hammerfists from her back. Peña landed more punches and moved to half-guard, then looked for a top-side guillotine choke. De Randamie rolled into top position and she worked for a shoulder choke and then an arm-triangle choke, but time ran out. 10-9 Peña.
Round 3:
Peña tried to punch her way into a clinch again in the final round, but de Randamie countered with a flurry of her own and Peña backed away. A hard right hook scored for de Randamie and she sidestepped a lunging left hook from Peña. A clinch followed and Peña held de Randamie against the fence. Both women landed knees to the body and Peña secured a takedown. De Randamie countered with a power guillotine choke on the way down. Within seconds, Peña was rendered unconscious and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Germaine de Randamie by Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 3:25 of round three. She improves to 10-4-0.
Kyler “The Matrix” Phillips vs Cameron “Camchida” Else
Round 1:
Hard leg kicks were exchanged right away and both men landed right hooks. Else countered a head kick with a right hand and Phillips responded with a spinning wheel kick. He landed a powerful body kick and an exchange of right hooks followed. Phillips took Else down and stood over him as Else threw kicks from his back. Phillips dropped down into side control and he took Else’s back. Phillips struck from the back until Else scrambled. Phillips hurt him with ground and pound late in the round, but time expired. 10-9 Phillips.
Round 2:
Phillips opened round two with a head kick and he quickly took Else down into back control. He flattened Else out and landed elbows until the fight was stopped.
Winner: Kyler Phillips by TKO (Elbows) at 0:44 of round two. He improves to 8-1-0.
Duško Todorović vs Dequan “The Tarantula” Townsend
Round 1:
Todorović landed two lead left hooks in the opening minute and he followed with knees and right hands to the body in a clinch. Townsend broke free and he landed a huge one-two as Todorović pressed forward, but Todorović appeared to be unfazed. Townsend jabbed and Todorović landed a flurry of punches in close. The fighters traded knees in another clinch and Todorović landed an overhand right. Townsend circled out and landed a leg kick, but Todorović rocked him with a lengthy flurry of power punches to the face. Townsend recovered and Todorović landed three more hooks late in the round. 10-9 Todorović.
Round 2:
After an exchange of jabs in the second round, Townsend landed a one-two and Todorović replied with a leg kick. He took Townsend down and passed to side control. Todorović mounted Townsend and rained down heavy shots. Townsend gave up his back and Todorović continued to attack with punches. Townsend rolled back over and Todorović landed punch after punch until the bout was stopped.
Winner: Duško Todorović by TKO (Punches) at 3:15 of round two. He improves to 10-0-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)