Holly Holm vs Yana Santos Prediction: Banking on a Santos upset

The co-main event of UFC on ESPN 43 is the intriguing matchup between former UFC Bantamweight champion and award-winning boxer Holly Holm and former Invicta FC Bantamweight champion Yana Santos. Intriguing because Holly Holm is a veteran of 41 years with whispers from some quarters to retire while Yana Santos has not fought since 2021, taking the time out to have a baby with UFC ace Thiago Santos. UFC San Antonio holds at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, United States and the bout will be aired on ESPN on Saturday night.

“The Preacher’s daughter” is a legendary boxer, champion mixed martial artist and excellent kickboxer. She is well decorated boxer with multiple world championships in several weight classes. Ranked highly by BoxRec and Ring magazine, she was held boxing and MMA titles simultaneously. Holm has been in MMA since 2011, fighting in Legacy, Bellator and the UFC. She famously upset Ronda Rousey in 2015 to bag the UFC 135 pounds title. Holm is also known for her punching combinations, typically pushing her opponent against the cage to execute. The American has a variety of kicking techniques, especially loooking to attack the head with high kicks and fast side kicks to the body. At 41, she has fought infrequently. Prior to her loss to Ketlen Vieira last September, she last fought in 2020; a win over Irene Aldana

Yana Santos is a 33-year-old wwho will be fighting for the first time since July 2021 when she lost to Irene Aldana. A month after the loss she announced she was pregnant and has been on hiatus since then. This will be the second time she has taken a break from MMA to have a baby, having taken a break in 2012. She came back in 2016 and became the Invicta Bantamweight champion the following year. The Russian debuted in the UFC in 2018 and has amassed a 4-3 record in the promotion and is currently number six in the ranking. 

Both fighters come into the bout after losses in their last fight and have not been active in the last few years. Former champion Holly Holm is a clear favorite across the sportsbooks. Her boxing skills are front and center in her armory, and we will expect her to push Yana Santos against the cage at some point and unleash her strikes. It will be interesting to see how much left in Holm's tank. Yana Santos lost to Irene Aldana in the first round in her last match. Before that, she had gone the distance in her four previous bouts, defeating Ketlen Vieira and Julija Stoliarenko in that run. Arguments about whether she was pregnant during her loss to Aldana have been adduced. This fight will likely last the distance, and I see the number six-ranked Bantamweight shading it on the scorecards. 

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