Germaine de Randamie: I fought a man, I can fight Holly Holm

Like Holly Holm, Germaine de Randamie holds a wealth of fighting experience prior to her entry into the UFC. At one point during her pre-MMA career, she fought a male boxer named Tom Waes in Europe in 2007.

De Randamie ended up winning the fight via right hook knockout, just moments after a brief exchange of punches. A clip of the fight had resurfaced online with just a few days left until UFC 208.

This accomplishment had rightfully given de Randamie the confidence as she goes up against fellow former boxer Holly Holm.

“Every fight is the toughest fight of my career. I respect Holly. She’s a tremendous athlete,” de Randamie said during her open workout scrum on Wednesday (via MMA Fighting). “To me it’s such an honor. But I’m ready. If I fought men, I can fight Holly.”

“[He had] 40 pounds [on me]. It was pro boxing, it is what it is. They offered me the fight, he had three pro fights, it was for TV and I’m like, let’s do it.”

“He hit me hard. The first thing I thought when I hit him was damn, better keep my hand up. But he went down, I knocked him out.”

Many would expect a standup war between the two women, given their striking prowess and accomplishments that go along with it. De Randamie hopes for the fight to remain on the feet, but is also ready for whatever would be thrown at her.

“I don’t expect her to stand and trade,” de Randamie said. “I don’t think that’s her style of fighting. I hope she does. Look at these amazing people, they want to see us bang it out in the middle of that cage. So let’s do it. Let’s bang it out.”

“I don’t think she will do that, but what I do believe is it’s going to be an amazing fight, and like Mike Tyson said, ‘everybody has a plan, until they get hit in the face.’”

UFC 208 will take place on February 11^th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.