UFC Singapore took place Saturday live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Featuring a main event between former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm taking on ex-title challenger Bethe Correia, it was a battle between the first woman to beat Ronda Rousey (Holm), and the last woman to fall to her (Correia).
The fight was scheduled for five rounds of action atop the four fight main card, and Holm in particular was in serious need of a win, having lost her last three fights to Miesha Tate, Valentina Shevchenko, and Germaine de Randamie.
Correia, for her part, entered the night having gone a slightly more respectable 1-1-1 in her last three bouts, albeit against lesser competition.
In the first, Holm used the threat of her kicks to stalk down Correia, with the Brazilian sitting back. Little action went down in the first two minutes, until Holm answered a Correia attack with a side kick to the body. The round mostly consisted of a feeling out process, with Correia staying out of range, refusing to attack lest counterstriker Holm get the advantage.
The second saw slightly more action, with Holm attacking and circling out of range. Still, however, action filled moments were few and far between, and the fighters were warned by the ref to stay busy, as he said “I respect the game plan” but needed to see some activity. The crowd voiced its displeasure loudly come the end of the round.
Round three saw Holm continue to circle and pick her spots, trying to counter. A minute in, Correia tried some mind games and waved her in. Bad idea. Holm launched a crushing head kick shortly after, dropping Correia to end the fight. Correia was done at that point, and likely suffered a broken nose.
It was an ugly start, but a beautiful finish!
Holly Holm def. Bethe Correia by knockout (head kick), Round 3, 1:09
