UFC 184 proved to be a successful debut for highly touted former boxing champion Holly Holm.
Holm defeated Raquel “Rocky” Pennington in Saturday night's co-main event.
Holm started the fight by being methodical with her striking. She did not put a lot of power in her strikes. She focused on finding her range and touching up Pennington. She also kept her weight low to defend the takedowns from her opponent.
The talented striker continued to pile up strikes against Pennington throughout the fight. Rocky could not get a takedown, and Holm was too technical on the feet. Pennington landed a single shot here and there but nothing too significant. Only a couple of shots in the final round really managed to connect flush. Holm would reset and establish herself as the better striker.
It was an easy decision win for Holm, even though one judge scored it for Pennington. But we will all agree to ignore that nonsense.
What We'll Remember About This Fight
This feels terrible to say about two quality fighters who stepped inside the cage to entertain us all, but there was nothing memorable about this fight.
Holly Holm 29-28 but the fight clearly shows she needs some more seasoning before jumping in the thick of the division #UFC184
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) March 1, 2015
Pennington didn't get too aggressive to open herself up to a fight-ending counter, and Holm was content to add up points on the scorecards. There was one brief exchange where Holm went to the mat after a punch from Pennington, but it was more of a slip from Holm.
It wasn't a terrible fight, but nothing occurred that you will remember by the next UFC fight card.
What We Learned About Raquel Pennington
Nothing. And that's not a shot at Pennington, but this is who she is.
She is a tough, gritty fighter with middle-of-the-road skills. She has some raw tools that can be honed, but they are not up to snuff yet. Her toughness allows her the chance to stay in fights, and she can capitalize on mistakes.
Holm did not offer up those mistakes. Pennington was the right choice for Holm's first opponent, but the UFC either needs to send Rocky to Invicta or give her low-level opposition to allow her to develop.
What We Learned About Holly Holm
We learned right away that Holm has some solid takedown defense. Pennington tested it early, and Holm defended easily. She is a good athlete, and in the infancy of women's MMA that plays a big role.
Split decision for Holly Holm. If you were mentioning her in the same breath as Ronda Rousey, might want to ease off that.
— Josh Gross (@yay_yee) March 1, 2015
There are way better wrestlers than Pennington, but this was the first test to show that Holm has some quality defensive grappling skills.
Other than that, we didn't learn much because we already knew she was a fantastic striker.
What's Next for Pennington
Pennington's 5-6 record is misleading, but after the defeat at UFC 184, the promotion has to give her lesser competition or cut her so she can sign with Invicta. She can still sharpen her raw tools against lesser opponents.
The loser of the upcoming Valerie Letourneau vs. Jessica Rakoczy fight makes a lot of sense if she remains in the UFC.
Neither of those two fighters is elite, and should Rakoczy win, it would lead to a rematch from their time on The Ultimate Fighter, where she won a decision. Both Rakoczy and Pennington have improved since that time, and it would be an official three-round contest.
The UFC is still fleshing out the division, but Pennington versus the loser of that fight would fit on an upcoming Fox Sports 1 undercard. They both need more work and development, and by pitting them against each other, the UFC would gauge how much they have improved.
What's Next for Holm
Some people may want to see Holm jump immediately into a title tilt, but that would be premature. UFC 184 was her first foray into the deep end of the talent pool.
Her background makes her a more marketable contender than most, and that is why she only needs one more fight before a title shot. Who makes sense in a title eliminator? Jessica Eye.
Eye was at UFC 184 doing a lot of press for the event, and she was a logical choice for Holm's debut. The UFC went with Pennington instead, and Eye might be next up. She has a complementary fighting style for Holm and also brings in a Top 10 ranking.
Some of the other top-tier bantamweights are wrestlers like Sara McMann. That is not a route the UFC wants to go with Holm.
Holm vs. Eye could co-main event any show. The winner would make a lot of sense as the next title contender.
