UFC 245: Irene Aldana Makes a Real Statement

UFC 245: Irene Aldana Makes a Real Statement

By James Lee

With a card filled with big finishes and big fights, perhaps Irene Aldana’s victory over the previously undefeated Ketlen Vieira at UFC 245 will go under the radar.

Admittedly, on a card where Usman/Covington put on a fight of the year contender and Max Holloway lost his title, a preliminary fight is bound to go slightly unnoticed by the end of the night, but for me, the Mexican can not be denied a title shot against bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes next.

Especially considering Nunes had her own success on the card by defeating top contender Germaine de Randamie via unanimous decision. The Brazilian champion suffered some nervy moments in the win, but it now makes sense to match her and Aldana for 2020 with both in the minds of the fans after the event.

When looking at the women’s 135 lbs rankings, nobody is the clear contender next, aside from Aldana now. A decision win over Vieira might not have cut it for her, but the way she won 100% does.

It is rare in female MMA to see a one-punch knockout, but Aldana provided that in Las Vegas.

Her Brazilian opponent looked fearless early on as she constantly walked forward and tensely tried to trade shots with little breaks. All it took however was Aldana to find her shot multiple times before the opportunity arose for her to land a vicious left hook that instantly cut the cord on the fight.

Two more follow up strikes on the ground and that was it; a killer knockout to secure deserved contendership.

As I said in my article prior to the event, Aldana might not have the résumé Vieira had established, but she is another example of a fighter who has learnt on the job in the sport’s toughest and most skilled organisation.

It has taken time for Aldana to reach the top, but her career has had a turnaround since January 2018. With five wins and one loss in the period since, there has never been better timing for her to fight for gold.

One thing that also cannot be disputed is how exciting she is to watch and perhaps that is another reason she could be given a title fight. Her bout against Lucie Pudilova last September at UFC 228 was one of the best fights of the year, with non-stop action from the pair for the full 15 minutes, in a fight where she showed her heart as well as her skill.

She is never in dull fights and always comes to finish. She proved that today in the year’s final pay-per-view card.

Although it was alongside a night of spectacular performances and fights, I hope Irene Aldana’s moment will be remembered long after this week. She deserves it to be and she deserves a bantamweight title shot ultimately.