Fans who will bet on UFC on Fox 20 favor Holly ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ Holm to beat Valentina ‘The Bullet’ Shevchenko on July 23rd in the main event at the United Center in Chicago. Judging by his offspring, I’m going to go ahead and assume that Mr. Holm is the kind of preacher that Bob Mitchum was in Night of the Hunter. Be that as it may, these are the UFC betting odds for the fight:
Valentina Shevchenko – 4½ (-155) +350
Holly Holm – 4½ (+135) -440
So is Shevchenko a bullet with Holly Holm’s name on it? She might be, though Holm looks like projectiles bounce off her skin. But let’s compare them a bit deeper, shall we?
Holly Holm
• Country: USA.
• MMA record: 10 wins (7 by KO, 3 by decision), 1 loss (by submission).
• KO percentage: 70%
• Submission percentage: 0%
• Decision percentage: 30%
• Height: 5’8”
• Weight: 135 pounds
• Division: Bantamweight.
• Reach: 69”
• Leg reach: 38”
• Strikes landed/minute: 3.4
• Strike accuracy: 35.3%
• Strikes absorbed/minute: 2.07
• Defense: 67.8%
• Takedown average: .5
• Takedown accuracy: 100%
• Takedowns defended: 86.6%
• Submission average: 000
• Style: Kickboxing, boxing.
• Stance: Southpaw.
• Team: Jackson’s-Winkeljohn’s Mixed Martial Arts.
• Trained by: Mike Winkeljohn.
• Rank: White belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
• Active: 2011-present.
Valentina Shevchenko
• Country: Kyrgyzstan.
• MMA record: 12 wins (4 by KO, 5 by submission, 3 by decision), 1 loss (by submission).
• KO percentage: 70%
• Submission percentage: 0%
• Decision percentage: 30%
• Height: 5’5”
• Weight: 135 pounds
• Division: Bantamweight.
• Reach: 67”
• Leg reach: 0”
• Strikes landed/minute: 2
• Strike accuracy: 54.05%
• Strikes absorbed/minute: 2.2
• Defense: 47.2%
• Takedown average: 2.5
• Takedown accuracy: 50%
• Takedowns defended: 70%
• Submission average: 000
• Style: boxing, muay thai.
• Stance: Orthodox.
• Team: Tiger Muay Thai, Gracie Barra Texas.
• Trained by: Pavel Fedotov.
• Rank: 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo, International Master of Sports in Muay Thai, Master of Sports in Boxing, International Master of Sports in Kickboxing, Master of Sports in Taekwondo, Black belt & Master of Sports in Judo.
• Active: 2003-present.
Not unlike the ‘Beast’ Brock Lesnar, Holm won her first UFC title in only her third fight with the company. On November 15th, 2015 at UFC 193 she defeated Ronda Rousey for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in what many people who bet on UFC considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport. However, Holm’s reign was doomed to be short-lived. On March 5th, 2016 at UFC 196 she dropped the belt to Miesha Tate by way of a technical submission. On the other hand, Shevchenko is also coming from a loss; she was defeated via unanimous decision by Amanda Nunes.
Now, Holm might be the favorite of people who bet on UFC, but the former champion is certainly not looking past Shevchenko. “I feel like Valentina is a very, very tough opponent. She has a lot of experience, a whole different style of fighter. She has great muy thai, so she is going to be very tough,” Holm said. She even turned down a role in a major movie to focus on this fight. Preach on, sister.