Sherdog’s Top 10: Fights We Want to See in 2016

Mike SloanJan 13, 2016

7. Holly Holm vs. Cristiane Justino

Though most fans are dying to see reigning UFC women’s bantamweight queen Holm try and repeat what she did in November, a rematch with Ronda Rousey is not the only fight we want to watch. Brazilian mauler Justino has been routing foes outside the Octagon for years, and though we love Invicta Fighting Championships, “Cyborg” belongs in the UFC.

For the better part of a year, the vocal MMA community demanded that Rousey pit her skills against “Cyborg,” but the fight never materialized. In the meantime, Holm picked apart Rousey with precision striking and knocked her senseless with a perfect left head kick at UFC 193. All eyes have since been on the Albuquerque, New Mexico, fighter.

“Cyborg” seems like an ideal foil. With her ferocious fighting style, a matchup with Holm looks like a lock for fireworks on the feet. The intriguing element to any potential showdown: The two strikers are polar opposites. In terms of offense, Justino can be reckless, crude, aggressive and extremely sloppy. However, what she lacks in polish, she more than makes up for with lethal punching power and a sturdy jaw. Holm, on the other hand, is as technical as anybody in the sport. She is without question among the greatest female boxers in the history of the Sweet Science, and her surgical approach made Rousey look like an amateur. It would be perfect clash of striking styles, and it is a fight that has to happen.

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