I was a huge fan of the UFC for many years until my interest level dropped off around UFC 167 or so. It was the beginning of a time when there was simply too many cards on a regular basis for my schedule to keep up with and as a result I ended up taking a big step back as a fan.
Due to the timing of this, I ended up missing the introduction and subsequent rise of the female divisions within the organization. I've recently started to get back into following MMA much more closely and just wanted to say how impressed I was with the ladies on the main card tonight.
Nunes showed some impressive striking despite a bit of a weak gastank but it was Shevchenko who really won me over in that fight. With Nunes looking to sink in the RNC at the end of the 2nd round, I was fully expecting Shevchenko to give it up to her and bail on the fight. Instead, she showed tremendous heart in getting out of the round and almost caught Nunes in the 3rd with a couple of strikes. I enjoyed that fight.
The Holm/Tate battle and subsequent finish speaks for itself. I keep reading it is arguably the best female UFC fight in the short history which doesn't surprise me. It was alot of fun, both ladies deserve a tremendous amount of credit for laying it all on the line for 5 rounds.
I won't lie, when I heard about women's MMA, I was largely expecting slopfests with weak shots and ugly finishes. What I've been seeing out of the women since I've returned to watching the sport has tremendously impressed me. Watching the continued evolution of women's MMA is something I'm now really looking forward to following in the years ahead.
|