Holm’s (15-6) longevity in combat sports is a bit unfathomable. The decorated Hall of Fame boxer made the switch to mixed martial arts in 2011. She rode the momentum all the way to an iconic head-kick knockout of Ronda Rousey in 2015 to capture the UFC women’s bantamweight champion. It’s been a bumpy road since with Holm falling short in four subsequent title fights: two at women’s bantamweight and two at women’s featherweight. Holm always appears to be within striking distance of another opportunity and intends to fill the void left by Nunes.
“Too bad I couldn’t get a rematch with her and now she’s retired,” Holm told CBS Sports.
“My goal is still the belt, regardless. If she ever wants to come out of retirement, maybe that can happen,” Holm said at Wednesday’s media day. “Not every fighter stays retired, right? But I do feel like I’m one fight away from the title regardless. If at 145 or 135, but I was excited to fight for the title even before she retired. It does shake things up a little bit in the division.”
Check out the full interview with Holly Holm below.
Bueno Silva (10-2-1) is a jolt of energy in the somewhat stagnant division. She has four stoppages — three armbars and a kneebar — in four UFC appearances and is a perfect 3-0 since dropping back down to 135 pounds. Bueno Silva, teeming with confidence, is determined to prove that she deserves the vacant title shot over other contenders like Juliana Pena and Raquel Pennington.
“I know that nobody has victories like mine,” Bueno Silva told CBS Sports. “I finish my fights. I have Performance of the Night, Fight of the Night. These girls have nothing. I believe if I put on a show with Holly Holm, I’m next.
“I think my striking is better and my jiu-jitsu is better… I’m better than Holly at everything.”
Check out the full interview with Mayra Bueno Silva below.
After twice having his hopes to fight on International Fight Week canceled, Jack Della Maddalena gets more of a spotlight as the co-main event this week. The Aussie chose to stay in Las Vegas an extra week in hopes of getting rebooked on this card and his gets his wish when he takes on Bassil Hafez at welterweight. Della Maddalena is one of the top rising prospects at 170 pounds and could soon find himself on the short list of title contenders.
Plus, Francisco Prado and Ottman Azaitar are set to throw down at lightweight, and Junyong Park and Albert Duraev square off in a middleweight contest.
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Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday night with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook before we get to a prediction and pick on the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
| Holly Holm -170 | Mayra Bueno Silva +145 | Women’s bantamweight |
| Jack Della Maddalena -500 | Bassil Hafez +380 | Welterweight |
| Francisco Prado -115 | Ottman Azaitar -105 | Lightweight |
| Junyong Park -160 | Albert Duraev +135 | Middleweight |
| Norma Dumont -140 | Chelsea Chandler +120 | Women’s featherweight |
| Nazim Sadykhov -150 | Terrance McKinney +125 | Lightweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: July 15 | Start time: 10 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: UFC Apex — Las Vegas, Nevada
TV channel: ESPN+
Prediction
Holly Holm vs. Mayra Bueno Silva: It’s hard to predict when age will completely derail a fighter, but Holm has remained relatively damage-free over the course of her career. Holm’s constant evolution has introduced improved wrestling into her game lately, but it would be wise to avoid Bueno Silva’s impressive offensive jiu-jitsu off her back. Holm’s success is dependent on the classic Holm formula: stay on the outside, tally up points and maybe land that patented head kick. Holm absorbs nearly half as many strikes per minute as her opponent and has gone to the decision in nearly three-quarters of her pro-MMA fights. Bueno Silva has a great submission game but with a 50% takedown rate and a 2-2 record with the judges, it is imperative she finds the takedown. Holm is savvy and by far the biggest challenge Bueno Silva has faced. Expect Holm to have enough juice for one last run to a world title. Holm via UD
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Source CBSSports.com Headlines
