UFC 208 welcomed a new name to the club of UFC champions, as Germaine de Randamie became the first champion of the women's featherweight division in the main event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with a unanimous-decision win over Holly Holm.
MMAjunkie had the final scorecards for the new champion:
The matchup between two former professional strikers promised to be an intriguing stand-up battle, and it didn't disappoint early on. De Randamie's methodical muay thai provided an interesting contrast to Holm's frenetic kickboxing from range.
MMA Fighting preferred de Randamie's sharp counterpunching to Holm's volume and leg kicks in the opening frame:
The devastating counter right continued to be the weapon of choice for de Randamie in the second round. The UFC showcased one of many that landed:
Despite a lot of clinch control for Holm in the second round, it was once again one that was scored de Randamie. The end of the round did bring some controversy into the bout, as de Randamie landed a massive right hand that was clearly after the bell.
No point was taken for the infraction as the action continued in Round 3, and de Randamie dominated the early going of the round. Josh Gross of Bleacher Report provided some context:
Holm turned the tide in the round with a massive question mark kick that knocked de Randamie down. However, controversy once again reared its head. Again de Randamie closed the round by throwing punches after the bell, and again there were no points taken for the offense, per Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting.
The UFC passed along the kick and the late exchange:
While Brett Okamoto of ESPN was praising Holm for her competitive nature, Jeff Wagenheim of the Washington Post had some fun with de Randamie's after-the-bell antics:
Holm's competitive nature certainly shined through. She wasn't able to get de Randamie down to the ground, but she did adjust and controlled de Randamie along the fence while landing some heavy kicks in the stand-up.
However, it wasn't enough, as de Randamie already had the lead on the cards.
De Randamie may be the most unlikely UFC champion of all time. The Dutch kickboxer came into this bout with just three wins in the promotion, but all three of the opponents she had beaten had zero combined wins in the UFC.
Now she can add a former champion to her resume.
Much like Holm, de Randamie has an extensive history as a professional in another combat sport to supplement a now impressive MMA resume. The 32-year-old has an extensive history in kickboxing that served as her preparation for the sport.
For de Randamie, winning the belt means vindication for her decision to make the switch.
"Trust me, it will solidify my career, absolutely, especially because in the past a lot of people doubted that I could ever do MMA," she said, per Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com. "They always told me, 'Stick to kickboxing, stick to what you're good at.' And it motivated me a lot."
Where de Randamie—and the rest of the new women's featherweight division—goes from here will be intriguing.
The division is still in its infancy, so its unclear exactly who will rise to be the next contender, but Cris "Cyborg" Justino obviously casts a shadow on the entire division. The former Strikeforce star and current Invicta champion has been flagged for a potential violation of the USADA anti-doping policy.
That will certainly make things complicated when it comes to finally setting up a fight for Justino against Holm.
Still, UFC President Dana White seems to think that Cyborg's issues with the USADA might be resolved.
"The drug that she had taken, she should have immediately let USADA know about it," he said, per Steve Marrocco of MMAjunkie. "But it's legit. She legitimately has these three separate issues, and that's what that drug is used for. The doctors are saying it, and it's looking good for her. I like it a lot."
If Cyborg's issues are in fact figured out, this likely becomes the division that is ruled by her like Ronda Rousey ruled the women's bantamweight division from its beginning.
Until then, de Randamie will continue to make history as the first champion of the division.
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