FORMER UFC WOMEN’S bantamweight champion Holly Holm was handed a second loss on the trot last night as Valentina Shevchenko claimed the main event in Chicago.
34-year-old Holm (10-2) shot to fame after dethroning Ronda Rousey by KO at UFC 193 last November, but followed up that result by losing her belt to Miesha Tate earlier this year.
The former boxer was expected to get back to winning ways against Kyrgyzstani kickboxer Shevchenko in the headline bout at UFC on Fox 20.
But, Shevchenko (13-2), fighting in the UFC for only the third time, upset the odds — scoring a unanimous 49-46 victory.
“I know I’m capable of more,” Holm said in the post-fight press conference. “I just need to believe in myself a little more.
I know I can do more than how I performed tonight. Valentina is really tough, we know that.
“It’s not like I haven’t been taught the right things but it just comes down to my performance and it wasn’t great tonight.”
UFC on FOX 20 results:
- Valentina Shevchenko def. Holly Holm via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
- Edson Barboza def. Gilbert Melendez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Francis Ngannou def. Bojan Mihajlovic via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:34
- Felice Herrig def. Kailin Curran via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:59
- Eddie Wineland def. Frankie Saenz via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:54
- Darren Elkins def. Godofredo Pepey via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-26)
- Kamaru Usman def. Alexander Yakovlev via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)
- Michel Prazeres def. J.C. Cottrell via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
- Alex Oliveira def. James Moontasri via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
- Jason Knight def. Jim Alers via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Luis Henrique def. Dmitrii Smoliakov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:58
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