Home MMA Twitter Reacts As ‘Cyborg’ Scores Biggest Win Of Career Against Holly Holm At UFC 219

Twitter Reacts As ‘Cyborg’ Scores Biggest Win Of Career Against Holly Holm At UFC 219

The PA Team December 31, 2017

On Saturday night in Las Vegas, UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino proved that she is far more than merely a mix of bullish aggression, power and strength, as she scored a unanimous decision win over crafty former bantamweight queen Holly Holm in the main event of UFC 219.

Ahead of the fight, there seemed to be two main schools of thought. One suggested that Justino would simply overpower and ravage Holm. The other claimed that Holm had always thrived against aggressive fighters like ‘Cyborg’ and that she possessed all the attributes required to effectively play the matador. Both schools, however, seemed to be casting Justino as the bull, and it turns out that both schools were underestimating the guile and skill of the Brazilian.

While she came forward and pressured Holm with her feet throughout the fight, ‘Cyborg’ was very patient. Holm had success with her left hand, particularly in the second round, and she intelligently but rather surprisingly used the clinch to disrupt Justino’s striking rhythm at times. ‘Cyborg’ never panicked, however. She remained calm in those clinches and seemed to use very little energy. She landed with her jab and right hand time and time again, perhaps having her greatest success with the latter shot when she allowed ‘The Preacher’s Daughter to lead. Making Holm miss regularly and consistently countering effectively, Justino showed that her stand-up game is far more cultured than she is given credit for.

One of these counter rights seemed to stun Holm at the end of the third, but the bell followed soon after and the JacksonWink fighter was able to regain her bearings between rounds.

In the latter sessions, ‘Cyborg’ landed some hard kicks to Holm’s body and also threatened with numerous high kicks. She couldn’t find the right combination of blows to put the badly marked-up but teak-tough Holm away, however, and she was forced to go the distance for the first time since 2008 and for only the third time in her entire career. It was also Justino’s first time ever time going the five-round championship distance.

In the end, all three judges saw the fight for Justino, although two of them only gave her the nod by the narrowest of margins. The scores were 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47.

After the fight, ‘Cyborg’ was quick to call for a clash with Invicta featherweight champion Megan Anderson.

“I would like to fight someone at 145[lbs], maybe Megan Anderson,” said Justino, who added that she would like the fight to take place in Anderson’s homeland – Australia.

She doubled down on this on social media on the hours that followed.

Anderson seemed very much up for the fight as well.

Justino and Anderson were supposed to fight at UFC 214 earlier this year, but Anderson pulled out and was replaced by Tonya Evinger, whom ‘Cyborg’ finished inside three rounds. To reschedule this one would make perfect sense.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Justino’s performance and the scoring, which some thought was too narrow and others, surprisingly, just plain wrong…

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