Measuring the the significance of experience for a mixed martial artist is a tricky thing to do. When breaking down fights and analyzing match ups one factor that always gets noted is the number of fights and level of experience. Sometimes experience seems to help but many times talent reigns heavy on a fight.
Scott Holtzman (6-0) came in the less experienced fighter Friday night in Nashville at XFC 26. What he lacked in experience he has made up in hard work and talent. Holtzman has yet to taste defeat dating back to his amateur days. Roger Carroll (13-10) knew the agony of defeat but has fought some elite competition. How would that play out in a five round title fight?
What happened in Nashville was that Holtzman pitched a perfect game. He was dominant for 25 minutes en route to a unanimous decision win. Carroll took massive amounts of punishment but kept moving forward. His left eye was rendered useless after three rounds. Holtzman used crisp striking and constant pressure that kept Carroll on the defensive all night long. The champ got the fans going with a huge slam that sounded like he had dropped a stack of texts books from a tall desk.
It is unclear who Holtzman will face next. We assume the champ will defend his title in early 2014 as contenders claw their way to the top. John Prisco will probably do Holtzman no favors Take a second and watch some of the highlights of XFC 26.