Holly Holm lost her second career MMA fight on Saturday night in Chicago against Valentina Shevchenko (12-2), and this sequence might be a big reason why.
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Holm (10-2) had already been roughed up some in the second round, but the third round is where Shevchenko made the most obvious mark in the match. After brawling up to the cage side, Shevchenko leaned in with a right-handed punch, and accidentally caught Holm with her head on the follow through.
The headbutt busted open a big cut over Holm's right eye, and cause a lot of bleeding for the rest of the round.
Shevchenko had capitalized with a couple of big kicks and punches before this point, but this is where things really turned in the third round. Shevchenko was soon able to score a takedown, and the rest of the round finished with Shevchenko controlling Holm on the ground.
Holm was better in the fourth and fifth rounds, but it was too late by that point. Shevchenko wound up winning by a 49-46 unanimous decision.
Holm has now lost two straight fights. It looks like that potential dream match with Ronda Rousey won't be as appealing to everyone as it was six months ago. That fight would still do numbers money-wise, but some of the luster it used to have.
