The Madness of the UFC Women's Bantamweight Division
The Madness of the UFC Women's Bantamweight Division
The UFC women's bantamweight division is pure chaos—and that might not be such a bad thing. FloCombat analyzes this volatile class.
Holly Holm sat quietly, choking back tears as she took sole responsibility for her loss to Valentina Shevchenko in the main event of UFC on Fox 20 on Saturday night in Chicago.
Shevchenko was slowest on the draw in the first round, getting dropped by a left hand from the former bantamweight champion Holm, but the Kyrgyzstani
native overwhelmed her foe over the remaining four rounds.
Adding a layer of drama to the fold, Shevchenko’s coach was shot during an armed robbery in late May while he ate dinner with his pupil in a Peruvian restaurant. Overcoming the traumatic incident with her stellar display, Shevchenko endeared herself to a host of new fans.
The upset win has further obscured the bantamweight division. Holm, the favorite, was expected to re-launch herself into the title conversation with a win over Shevchenko. Yet, her loss points to the level of competition that now exists at the top of the bracket since she dethroned longstanding champion Ronda Rousey back in November.
In less than eight months, the bantamweight title has changed hands three times, and all three of the women who have claimed the belt have not defended it. Granted, Amanda Nunes only won the title two weeks ago, but both Holm and Tate have seen the championship slip from their hands in contests they were predicted to win.
After Holm’s high kick separated Rousey from her senses in Melbourne, Australia, the world anticipated a rematch between the pairing. However, with Rousey’s return still dangling in the balance, Holm took on the dangerous challenge brought forth by Miesha Tate at UFC 196.
It was Tate who then stole Holm’s momentum, rallying in the fifth round of their clash in March to secure a rear-naked choke. After years of feeling undervalued by the promotion, Tate finally had the power to call the shots as champion, and a big-money trilogy fight with Rousey hung just out of reach going into her first defense at UFC 200. Nunes obscured Tate’s position when she obliterated her in the first round of the July 9 main event.
This time last year, Nunes’ best win had come over Sheila Gaff. She boasted a 3-1 record with the promotion, and even in the majority of fans’ wildest dreams, she could never raise the belt in such a short timespan. Yet, here we are.
Currently, the two top contenders in the bracket coming off wins are relatively unknown compared to the UFC women’s bantamweight trinity— Rousey, Holm, and Tate.
Julianna Peña announced herself in the title fray with her unanimous decision win over former contender Cat Zingano at UFC 200. With Shevchenko losing a close decision to Nunes at UFC 196, the two young charges could be next in line for a date with the title.
It is unlikely that we will see Rousey, Holm, or Tate contest for the title when Nunes eventually looks to defend it. Rousey’s status is till unknown, Holm has now suffered two defeats on the trot, and a date on Tate’s return has still to be slated after she suffered a broken nose at the hands of Nunes. Pending inspection from an ENT doctor, she has been medically suspended from competition until January 2017.
Ratings will inevitably suffer without their inclusion in the next title fight, but for diehard fans of the sport, the emergence of a new titleholder and top contenders makes the division extremely interesting.
Reluctant Ronda?
When Tate took the title from Holm, it seemed likely that Rousey would return for a trilogy fight with her rival. Having suffered a knockout loss to Holm, Rousey’s former invincibility has been tainted. The fact that Shevchenko picked apart Holm in the striking realms would lead many to believe that she would not present a preferable matchup for Rousey upon her return.
In just eight months, it seems the playing field has been leveled significantly. Everyone outside of Holm seemed like an ideal return for Rousey at one point, but it is hard to see her eventual comeback being as dominant as her first run in the division when she effortlessly defended the title on six occasions.
Where the division heads from here is anybody’s guess, but it’s hard to shake the feeling the title shuffle has only just begun.
Shevchenko was slowest on the draw in the first round, getting dropped by a left hand from the former bantamweight champion Holm, but the Kyrgyzstani
native overwhelmed her foe over the remaining four rounds.
Adding a layer of drama to the fold, Shevchenko’s coach was shot during an armed robbery in late May while he ate dinner with his pupil in a Peruvian restaurant. Overcoming the traumatic incident with her stellar display, Shevchenko endeared herself to a host of new fans.
The upset win has further obscured the bantamweight division. Holm, the favorite, was expected to re-launch herself into the title conversation with a win over Shevchenko. Yet, her loss points to the level of competition that now exists at the top of the bracket since she dethroned longstanding champion Ronda Rousey back in November.
Three New Champions, No Title Defenses
In less than eight months, the bantamweight title has changed hands three times, and all three of the women who have claimed the belt have not defended it. Granted, Amanda Nunes only won the title two weeks ago, but both Holm and Tate have seen the championship slip from their hands in contests they were predicted to win.
After Holm’s high kick separated Rousey from her senses in Melbourne, Australia, the world anticipated a rematch between the pairing. However, with Rousey’s return still dangling in the balance, Holm took on the dangerous challenge brought forth by Miesha Tate at UFC 196.
It was Tate who then stole Holm’s momentum, rallying in the fifth round of their clash in March to secure a rear-naked choke. After years of feeling undervalued by the promotion, Tate finally had the power to call the shots as champion, and a big-money trilogy fight with Rousey hung just out of reach going into her first defense at UFC 200. Nunes obscured Tate’s position when she obliterated her in the first round of the July 9 main event.
This time last year, Nunes’ best win had come over Sheila Gaff. She boasted a 3-1 record with the promotion, and even in the majority of fans’ wildest dreams, she could never raise the belt in such a short timespan. Yet, here we are.
Currently, the two top contenders in the bracket coming off wins are relatively unknown compared to the UFC women’s bantamweight trinity— Rousey, Holm, and Tate.
Julianna Peña announced herself in the title fray with her unanimous decision win over former contender Cat Zingano at UFC 200. With Shevchenko losing a close decision to Nunes at UFC 196, the two young charges could be next in line for a date with the title.
Good for the Diehards, Bad for the Casuals
It is unlikely that we will see Rousey, Holm, or Tate contest for the title when Nunes eventually looks to defend it. Rousey’s status is till unknown, Holm has now suffered two defeats on the trot, and a date on Tate’s return has still to be slated after she suffered a broken nose at the hands of Nunes. Pending inspection from an ENT doctor, she has been medically suspended from competition until January 2017.
Ratings will inevitably suffer without their inclusion in the next title fight, but for diehard fans of the sport, the emergence of a new titleholder and top contenders makes the division extremely interesting.
Reluctant Ronda?
When Tate took the title from Holm, it seemed likely that Rousey would return for a trilogy fight with her rival. Having suffered a knockout loss to Holm, Rousey’s former invincibility has been tainted. The fact that Shevchenko picked apart Holm in the striking realms would lead many to believe that she would not present a preferable matchup for Rousey upon her return.
In just eight months, it seems the playing field has been leveled significantly. Everyone outside of Holm seemed like an ideal return for Rousey at one point, but it is hard to see her eventual comeback being as dominant as her first run in the division when she effortlessly defended the title on six occasions.
Where the division heads from here is anybody’s guess, but it’s hard to shake the feeling the title shuffle has only just begun.