US fighter Holly Holm takes on Brazilian counterpart Bethe Correia in the much-anticipated UFC Fight Night in Singapore on June 17.
Filipino MMA fans will be interested in this event especially with Filipino featherweight Rolando Dy (8-4-1) making his UFC debut against U.S. veteran Alex Caceres (12-10-0) in the place of Wang Guan who is injured.
There are nine other bouts on the card, featuring six other Asian fighters including Dong Hyun Kim, former champion Takanori Gomi, and emerging star Ulka Sasaki.
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Holm and Correia will face off in a five-round bantamweight showdown that should prove to be exciting. Holm comes from a boxing background where she won many title defenses and accolades including Fighter of the Year from various organizations. She retired from the sport in 2013 to concentrate on her MMA career. As an MMA fighter, Holm is best known for derailing Ronda Rousey’s seemingly unstoppable winning streak on Nov. 14, 2015, via knockout. She is the first person to win championships in both boxing and MMA.
Bethe Correia’s fighting style uses moves from Brazilian jiu-jitsu (where she holds the rank of blue belt), kickboxing, wrestling, kung fu (purple sash), and sanda (Chinese kickboxing, also known as sanshou). On Aug. 1, 2015, she faced Ronda Rousey and was beaten 34 seconds into the first round.
Holm deploys striking and punching combinations combined with a variety of kicks that are usually her final, winning moves. It was with a high kick that she brought Rousey down. Correia is an aggressive grappler and striker who relies on clinching and hand strikes, unleashing a flurry of combinations when she has pinned her opponent against the cage.
Expect Holm to be the outstanding favorite in this fight.
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Rolando “The Incredible” Dy, 25, a son of former boxing champion Rolando Navarette, continues his father’s legacy in combat sports by making his debut in the UFC next week, a dream come true for the young fighter.
At present he is third in the Southeast Asia Pro Men’s Featherweight rankings, behind Kyle Aguon of Guam, whom Dy has lost to twice, and Takumi Nakayama of Japan.
Dy comes off a three-win streak and is eager to face Caceres. Although summoned to replace Wang Guan on short notice, Dy is looking forward to his UFC debut and this is his chance to show off what he’s got. Let’s hope his confidence will carry him through to victory.
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Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Facebook: Gogirl Racing and Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @gogirlracing and @jennyortuoste, and Instagram: @jensdecember and @artuoste