Holly Holm has said time and again that she does not want her UFC career to be defined by her shocking knockout of Ronda Rousey. Saturday on “Fight Island,” Holm has a chance to forge her first winning streak since that 2015 victory — and perhaps earn another title shot.
Holm, one of the most popular fighters in mixed martial arts, meets Irene Aldana in the main event of the UFC Fight Night. The bout is a pivotal one in the women’s bantamweight division. In ESPN’s women’s bantamweight rankings, Aldana is No. 5 and Holm is No. 6.
Holm (13-5), the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 246 in January. The New Mexico native has won three of her past five fights, with the losses coming against Amanda Nunes, the current UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion, and former women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg.
Holm, 38, is only 3-5 since beating Rousey at UFC 193 on Nov. 15, 2015.
Aldana (12-5) has won two straight and five of her past six fights. She is the first Mexican-born woman to headline a UFC event. The 32-year-old is coming off a first-round knockout of Ketlen Vieira at UFC 245 last December.
In the co-main event, Yorgan De Castro meets Carlos Felipe in a heavyweight bout. De Castro (6-1) had his previously undefeated record tarnished in May against Greg Hardy. Felipe (8-1) is searching for his first UFC victory following a debut loss to Serghei Spivac in July.
Also on the card, women’s bantamweight contenders Germaine de Randamie and Julianna Pena face off; Carlos Condit returns against Court McGee in a welterweight bout; and former Invicta FC women’s atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey faces Loma Lookboonmee.
UFC Fight Night takes place at the Flash Forum on inside the Yas Island safe zone, which has been dubbed “Fight Island.” Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim recap the action as it happens.
Fight lineup:
Women’s bantamweight: Holly Holm (13-5, 6-5 UFC, -120) vs. Irene Aldana (12-5, 5-3 UFC, +100)
Heavyweight: Yorgan De Castro (6-1, 1-1 UFC, -240) vs. Carlos Felipe (8-1, 0-1 UFC, +200)
Women’s bantamweight: Germaine de Randamie (9-4, 6-2 UFC, -140) vs. Julianna Pena (10-3, 5-1 UFC, +120)
Men’s bantamweight: Kyler Phillips (7-1, 1-0 UFC, -450) vs. Cameron Else (10-4, 0-0 UFC, +360)
Middleweight: Dequan Townsend (21-11, 0-3 UFC, +280) vs. Dusko Todorovic (9-0, 0-0 UFC, -340)
Welterweight: Carlos Condit (30-13, 7-9 UFC, +110) vs. Court McGee (20-9, 10-6 UFC, -130)
Men’s featherweight: Charles Jourdain (10-3, 1-2 UFC, -450) vs. Josh Culibao (8-1, 0-1 UFC, +360)
Middleweight: Jordan Williams (9-3, 0-0 UFC, -135) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (8-2, 0-0 UFC, +115)
Strawweight: Loma Lookboonmee (4-2, 1-1 UFC, -145) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (9-5, 0-1 UFC, +125)
Men’s bantamweight: Casey Kenney 14-2-1, 3-1 UFC, -330) vs. Alateng Heili (14-7-1, 2-0 UFC, +270)
Lightweight: Jessin Ayari (16-5, 1-2 UFC, -120) vs. Luigi Vendramini (8-1, 0-1 UFC, +100)