Bloody and battered, but both show #Respect
What a fight! #UFC219 pic.twitter.com/dZBLRZBDg0
— UFC (@ufc) December 31, 2017
The road to victory wasn’t smooth but in the end, Cris Cyborg proved she had enough in the tank. In front of a largely pro-Holm crowd in Las Vegas, Cyborg went defeat Holly Holm by unanimous decision and retain the UFC featherweight title.
Despite Holm’s extensive boxing background, Cyborg gained the early upper hand in the battle of striking. Changing her point of attack, Holm attempted to labor the defending champ by clinching Cyborg along the fence before settling into her familiar kickboxing range.
As the action continued, Cyborg stalked Holm across the octagon before connecting with vicious right hands that left the challenger’s face battered and swollen. In the fifth round, Holm looked to make a final stand but Cyborg proved to be the stronger, more accurate striker and kicker rendering Holm’s blows ineffective.
Judges final scores: 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47.