HOLLY HAS EASY NIGHT WITH SANDERS
By Andy Rivera
Photo's By Tanner Adams

Holly Holm captured a unanimous decision over formerly unbeaten Mary Jo Sanders. The fight was billed "Finally" and seen world wide on Secondsout.com. Holm kept Sanders confused most of the night with her pin-point punches and awkward style to win the biggest fight of her career. Two judges had it 98-92, while the third scored it a little closer at 97-93. Holm upped her record to 22-1-2, while Sanders dropped to 25-1.

Sanders came out immediately right after Holm, showing no caution at all, Sanders looked to get Holm into a slugfest but Holm would retreat, firing lead left hands. Sanders landed two solid rights to Holm’s head, with Holm trying to flurry. You could see early that Sanders was going to put pressure on Holm, but Holm showed her superior speed by eluding most of Sanders shots and landing quick flurries of here own.

The second round was much of the same with Sanders pressing forward and Holm countering with lead left hands, it was evident early that Sanders timing was off and that Holm was ready for anything Sanders had.

Holm had a good third, by snapping Sanders head back with a hard left midway thru the round, Holm was the one who was now coming forward, as she was able to trap Sanders on the ropes not doing much damage but scoring enough points to win the round.

Holm’s speed looked to be the difference in the fourth, as she was able to flurry and get in and out. Sanders would come forward but was not effective aggression. Holm was starting to put some distance on the scorecards up to this point.

Sanders would come back to win the fifth out hustling Holm, Sanders landed two good uppercuts and a hard lead right hand that had Holm tie up Sanders; Sanders would press the action with Holm trying to stick and move.

 

In the six and seventh Holm dominated the action by frustrating Sanders with her defense and countering, every time Sanders would get close Holm would throw a lead left to the head of Sanders, stopping Sanders from being able to put anything together.

Once again Sanders would come out straight at Holm, but as the tone of the fight had been set early, Holm would have an answer for everything Sanders tried to do, or lack there of not doing.

The pro Holm crowd began their chants of “Holly-Holly-Holly” the ninth and tenth, as Holm once again dominated Sanders with quick combinations, Sanders was now desperate for the knockout, as her trainer Jimmy Mallo informed his fighter in between rounds that she would need a KO to win; but it was not to be as Holm continued to land and frustrate Sanders.

After the fight, Sanders and her trainer admitted they were disappointed in the fight and that Holm deserved to win. “She was awkward tonight and I didn’t do anything that we trained to do, it was hard to catch Holly, but she deserved the win.”

Holm’s trainer Mike Winklejohn gave his pupil an A for her performance, not wanting to give the A+ just yet. “How could I not giver her and A but we could still do a little bit more, such as jab a little more but over all she dominated the fight!”

Holm agreed with Winkeljohn saying she could have done a few things better to make t a little easier fight, if that were possible? Pound for Pound” Holm says’ she will take it for now.” I’ll take it today but there is always someone ready to fight you anytime to take it away from you, right now as we speak there someone training, getting better and wanting a shot, but I’ll take it today.’

Friday night Holm deserved it!!!