UFC Fight Night 224 is headlined by the women's bantamweight bout between former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm and Mayra Bueno Silva. Holm replaces an injured Miesha Tate, who was originally billed to fight Silva. With the Bantamweight title still vacant, a win here could propel the winner into a championship bout in the near future. While Mayra Bueno Silva is on a streaking run, veteran Holly Holm is doing what she does best, act as the gatekeeper between the championship and any contender. UFC Fight Night takes place this weekend at the UFC Apex in LAs Vegas.
MMA: UFC Women's Bantamweight
Location: UFC Apex
Where to watch: ESPN/ESPN+
Date: 16.07.2023. 07.40
Holly Holm
"The Preacher's Daughter" is martial arts royalty. Ranked as the greatest female boxer of all time, Holly Holm transitioned to MMA and handed Ronda Rousey her first defeat to claim the women's bantamweight gold in 2015. The 41-year-old is currently ranked number three in the UFC women's bantamweight rankings and is also number fourteen in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings. The American is the only fighter to have won a boxing world title and an MMA title. Following a loss to Ketlen Vieria last year, Holm defeated number seven-ranked Yana Santos last March to show she is still a force in this business.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 41
- Height: 5' 8"
- Reach: 70"
- Record: 15-6
I want to hurt her. I want to hurt her for four rounds, and then in the fifth round, I knock out Holly. I need to knock her out, and she needs to knock me out, too.
Mayra Bueno Silva
"Sheetara" needed only three fights in the Brazilian regional scene to get an invitation to participate in the DWCS. Mayra Bueno Silva unsurprisingly earned a UFC contract but seemed to need a learning curve in the elite promotion. Her first five fights in the UFC produced a record of 2-2-1, though this was at Flyweight. A return to Bantamweight last year brought a change in fortunes, with the Sao Paulo native delivering three straight wins with two consecutive finishes in her last two fights. The 31-year-old, who made her UFC debut in 2018, is now ranked number ten in the 135-pound class. Her last visit to the Octagon saw the American Top Team member stopping Lina Lansberg with a kneebar in the second round, with the Brazilian earning a Performance of the Night award.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 31
- Height: 5' 6"
- Reach: 66.5"
- Record: 10-2
Betting odds
Holly Holm is the favorite with the bookies and is priced at 1.57 odds to win on Bet365, with the bookie listing a win for Silva at 2.50. Under 4.5 rounds is priced at 2.5 on 1XBET with the over available at 1.49 odds. Over at MarathonBet, Under 1.5 is priced for 4.65 odds. Other bets include Holly Holm by Decision at 2.00 and Silva by KO/TKO or submission at 4.25.
