Holm-Nunes won’t happen on May 11
Fresquez says he wants the fight, but not in Brazil
Anywhere but Brazil.
Lenny Fresquez, Albuquerque fighter Holly Holm’s agent, on Thursday confirmed online reports that negotiations for his client to fight UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes in Brazil on May 11 have fallen through.
The three sticking points, Fresquez said: location, location, location. Nunes is from Brazil, a country in which Brazilian fighters — thanks to the enthusiasm of their fans — tend to enjoy a greater “home cage advantage” than, say, Holm would enjoy were she to fight Nunes in the United States.
“We want that fight for Holly, but not in Brazil,” Fresquez told the Journal in a phone interview. “Anywhere else, just not in Brazil.”
Would not Nunes, as the champion, have a greater influence in the matter than would Holm? Fresquez has always contended that Holm, in any matchup, brings as much as or more than her opponent in terms of fan interest, marketing and potential payper-view buys.
“She’s (the UFC’s) number-one female attraction,”
he said.
But negotiations for Holm-Nunes, Fresquez said, are only part of the equation. Holm, 37, has two fights left on her current UFC contract. Fresquez is seeking to position her for the rest of her combat-sports career.
Fresquez, though, declined comment on any contract issues beyond those for Holm-Nunes.
Holm (12-4) had been scheduled by the UFC to fight Aspen Ladd (7-0) on UFC 235 in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 2, but Fresquez repeatedly said no contract for that fight had been signed on Holm’s behalf. UFC President Dana White announced on Feb. 1 that the Holm-Ladd fight would not happen.
BUSY SPRING: A boxing card at the Embassy Suites and a Muay Thai card at Route 66 Casino Hotel have been added to the Albuquerque-area combat-sports docket for upcoming months.
Santa Fe’s Pat Holmes, who promotes regularly at Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino in Pojoaque, said on Thursday he’ll feature Albuquerque lightweight Fidel Maldonado Jr. on an April 5 card at the Embassy Suites.
One side of the card, Holmes said — subject to change — is already filled.
Maldonado (25-4-1, 19 knockouts), Albuquerque junior middleweight Jordanne Garcia (3-0-1), Rio Rancho super middleweight Bryant McClain (4-1-2, one KO) and Española light flyweight Leanna Martinez (4-1, two KOs) will be joined on the “A” side by Albuquerque amateur Santiago Giron, who’ll be making his pro debut.
On April 20, Lion Fight, an 9-year-old Muay Thai promotional company, will come to Route 66 with a card that includes Los Lunas heavyweight Cody East (13-4 MMA, 2-1 (two KOs). East will be making his professional Muay Thai debut against Joe Stripling (8-10 MMA) of Wilmington, Del.
As previously reported, Albuquerque’s Legacy Promotions has scheduled a card on March 30 at the Lujan Building at Expo New Mexico. Albuquerque welterweight Josh Torres (19-6-2, 11 KOs) is matched against Mexico’s Francisco Javier Castro (28-9, 23 KOs) in the main event.
UFC AT LAST: As reported by Southwest Fight News, Albuquerque MMA flyweight Jordan Espinosa (13-5) will make his UFC debut on March 23 in Nashville, Tenn., against Eric Shelton (12-5) of Lawton, Okla.
Jordan signed with the UFC in June after defeating Riley Dutro on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He was scheduled to make his debut in November against Mark De La Rosa but was forced to withdraw due to injury.
The UFC has not announced the Espinosa-Shelton pairing.