Too strong: Harrison dominates, submits Holm on UFC 300

Apr. 13—Holly Holm put Kayla Harrison's back to the fence, a position in which Holm has had great success throughout her MMA career.

Not this time.

Albuquerque's Holm, overwhelmed throughout the short duration of her fight by Harrison's superior strength and grappling skill, lost by second-round submission (rear naked choke) on Saturday on UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Holm is now 15-7, 8-7 (with one no contest) in UFC competition.

Harrison, who compiled a 16-1 record while competing principally in the Professional Fighters League, made a highly successful UFC debut.

Holm, 42, has had the oft-stated goal of regaining the UFC bantamweight title she won with her historic upset of Ronda Rousey in 2015 but lost to Miesha Tate in her first defense.

After Saturday's loss, that goal is perhaps farther away than at any time in Holm's UFC career.

After almost a minute of the first round spent trading punches with neither fighter doing damage, Holm engaged with Harrison and put the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist's back to the fence — a move immediately questioned by the ESPN broadcast crew.

Harrison almost immediately took Holm down from that position, though the Albuquerque fighter briefly gained a reversal. But Harrison got to her feet and pressed Holm's back to the fence before again throwing Holm to the ground with 3:23 left in the round.

Helpless to escape, Holm absorbed a brutal beating for the rest of the round as Harrison rained down fists and elbows. Holm managed to make it to the horn.

Holm came out for the second round clearly intent on throwing punches and kicks while staying out of Harrison's clutches. But 40 seconds into the round, Harrison knocked Holm off balance with a head kick, closed the gap and took Holm down near the fence.

Holm struggled to her feet, but Harrison took her down again. Seconds later, at 1 minute, 47 seconds of the second, it was over.

Harrison had kind words for Holm in the Octagon afterward after saying that, yes, she was surprised Holm went to the clinch.

"She reversed me, and that just goes to show what a phenomenal mixed martial artist Holly Holm is," Harrison said. "... It was an honor be in the Octagon with her tonight."

Harrison had competed for most of her pre-UFC career at 155 pounds, and there was some concern about how the drastic cut to the bantamweight limit of 135 pounds — 136 for non-title fights — might affect her.

At Friday's weigh-in, Harrison looked drawn and not at all like the 155-pounder that had dominated in the PFL.

By fight time, it was clear that Harrison had successful rehydrated.

During her MMA career, Holm had almost always been — win or lose — the stronger fighter. Even during her 2017 loss at featherweight (145 pounds) to Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino, Holm was able to keep Cyborg's back to the fence for extensive periods of time.

Saturday, for the first time, Holm was dominated physically.

On Wednesday, in a phone interview with the Journal, Holm said she didn't accept the common wisdom that Harrison would be the stronger fighter in the Octagon on Saturday. She was.