Saturday’s UFC 208 has been a swirling mass of boiling controversy and bubbling conjecture.
In the inaugural women’s featherweight title fight main event, former bantamweight champion Holly Holm went up against now reigning featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie.
The bout has been a central talking point for the event’s controversy. Two of the most devastating strikes of the fight were dealt after round ending buzzers, by champion Randamie. Within two separate rounds, Randamie struck Holm after the buzzer had sounded, without a point deduction from the referee.
Having lost the title fight by unanimous decision, Holm is now looking for a rematch. She would rather see the champion in the octagon sooner rather than later.
In her post-fight press conference, Holm acknowledged the two post buzzer strikes.
“The second time you would think at that point they’d do something. It wasn’t like the last punch of a combination when the bell rang. It was intentional and it was after the bell. Those were some of her best shots of the whole night, after the bell. I don’t know how the judges saw that. If they see that as points for her, then what can you do. I should’ve kept fighting too.”
“It was in the heat of the moment. I apologize.” Randamie explained to the Brooklyn crowd directly after her victory. “It was in the heat of the moment. I apologize. I’m not like that.”
In her post fight conference, Holly Holm noted that she’s ready for a rematch with Randamie.
“I think it warrants a rematch. When you have more than half the people saying the fight should have gone the other way, usually that warrants a rematch. So that would be awesome.”
Though Holm also acknowledged her current standing in the division.
“I’m sitting in a spot where my last three fights, I’m 0-3, so I’ll take whatever they’ll give me.” Holm said.
Originally a bantamweight fighter in the UFC, Holm may be considering a shift back to her original division, depending on the circumstances.