Matches to Make After UFC on ESPN 16

Nothing quiets talk from doubters quite like a comprehensive performance.

Two weeks shy of her 39th birthday, former Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm outstruck, outwrestled and outmaneuvered Irene Aldana to a unanimous decision in the UFC on ESPN 16 main event on Saturday at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. All three judges struck scorecards in Holm’s favor: 50-44, 50-45 and 50-45.

Aldana was out of her depth from the start. Holm connected on 55 percent of her total strikes (187-for-342) and secured single takedowns in all five rounds, as she kept the Lobo Gym representative off-balance with variety and volume. Aldana was a faded force by the time she reached the latter stages of their encounter, leaving her increasingly vulnerable to an experienced and efficient opponent. Holm did her best work in Round 5, where the Jackson-Wink MMA mainstay hit the accelerator and connected with 48 significant strikes, 37 of them to the head.

In the aftermath of UFC on ESPN 16 “Holm vs. Aldana,” here are four matches that ought to be made:

Germaine de Randamie vs. Holly Holm: Adding a new wrinkle to her still-evolving game, de Randamie registered the first submission win of her career when she choked Julianna Pena unconscious with a third-round guillotine in their critical women’s bantamweight affair. Pena required referee assistance 3:25 into Round 3. An accomplished muay Thai stylist who exploited her advantages on the feet throughout the match, de Randamie had the answers when they mattered most. Pena moved into clinch range in the third round, changed levels for a takedown and paid a steep price for exposing her neck. “The Iron Lady” calmly cinched the choke and waited for lack of blood flow to the brain to do the rest. De Randamie met Holm once previously—with the inaugural women’s featherweight crown on the line—and walked away with a contentious decision at UFC 208 in February 2017.

Kyler Phillips vs. Kevin Natividad-Miles Johns winner: Phillips took the next step in his development, as he disposed of Cameron Else with punches and elbows in the second round of their bantamweight showcase. An emerging threat at 135 pounds, the once-beaten MMA Lab standout brought it to a decisive close 44 seconds into Round 2. Else spent much of his Octagon debut ducking for cover. Phillips flexed his superiority on the ground: He executed a takedown in the first round, advanced to dominant positions and had the Jackson-Wink MMA export reeling with elbow strikes in a harbinger of what was to come. The John Crouch protégé secured another takedown at the start of the middle stanza, transitioned to back mount and bludgeoned Else with punches and elbows to prompt the stoppage. Natividad and Johns are scheduled to square off at UFC Fight Night 181 on Oct. 31.

Dusko Todorovic vs. Kyle Daukaus-Dustin Stoltzfus winner: Still something of an unknown commodity, Todorovic excelled in his promotional debut and put down roots in the middleweight division with his second-round technical knockout of Dequan Townsend. The unbeaten Secutor MMA prospect drew the curtain 3:15 into Round 2. Todorovic systematically dismantled Townsend across eight-plus minutes, outstriking the journeyman by an eye-popping 109-21 margin. The Dana White’s Contender Series graduate executed a takedown inside the first 90 seconds of the second round, climbed to full mount and unleashed a sustained burst of punches until referee Jason Herzog had seen enough. Todorovic’s pristine record now sits at 10-0 with nine finishes. Daukaus and Stoltzfus will lock horns at UFC Fight Night 182 on Nov. 7.

Carlos Condit vs. Tim Means: Condit posted his first win in 1,953 days, as he snapped a career-worst five-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision over Court McGee in the featured welterweight prelim. All three cageside judges scored it 30-27 for “The Natural Born Killer,” who proved he still had something left in the tank at the age of 36. The former World Extreme Cagefighting champion seized the reins in the waning seconds of the first round, where he connected with a devastating right hook that sat down McGee and left him with significant damage to his nose. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 winner pawed at the blood flow for the remainder of the match, as Condit upped the aggression and kept him at bay with variety and volume. Means last appeared at UFC Fight Night 174 on Aug. 8, when he laid claim to a unanimous verdict over Laureano Staropoli.