UFC Fight Island 4 Main Event: Holly Holm dominates Irene Aldana
Holly Holm looked in peak form against Irene Aldana at UFC Fight Island 4. She won all five rounds (50-44, 50-45, 50-45) against the Mexican fighter who didn't have the answers on the ground or in the stand-up exchanges.
Aldana came into the fight with Holly Holm after a highlight-reel knockout of Ketlen Vieira, but could hardly mount any sustained offence.
Holly Holm wins all five rounds against Irene Aldana
Holm (the southpaw), kept circling to Aldana's (the orthodox fighter) right, running her into jabs and combinations. The Mexican struggled to cut off the cage, following the American with single shots from her right-hand.
Holm also displayed her grappling in the fight, taking her opponent down in each round. The 38-year-old waited for Aldana to lunge in, attacking a double leg, to land into side control or into her guard. In the third-round, Holm managed to get past Aldana's guard and land unaswered shots on the ground.
The variety in Holm's arsenal was ultimately too much for Aldana to deal with in the fight. The former professional boxer used combinations, side kicks, inside low kicks and front kicks to keep her opponent at a safe distance to strike.
Holm almost finished the fight in the last round as she caught Aldana with a high-kick as she was attempting to get up following a grappling exchange. This was Holm's second win in a row, nine months after another decision win against Raquel Pennington.
Holm has fought against top opposition in each of her last six fights which include Valentina Shevchenko, Germaine de Randamie, Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes. Another win should land her back into title contention against Nunes.
For Aldana, it is important to get back to the drawing board. She was outwitted by a seasoned striker who had a gameplan to negate her strengths.
Aldana posseses power on her right hand, but the rest of her game doesn't compliment her power. Although, she had some success with inside leg kicks to Holly Holm's lead leg, she didn't land enough for her to make an impression in the fight.