After nearly precisely 10 years within the promotion, Holly Holm has been launched from her UFC contract. Standing as one of many best ladies’s fighters in fight sports activities historical past, she leaves behind a stalwart legacy as a former Ladies’s Bantamweight Champion, in addition to a long-time prime contender within the division. She departs from the corporate with an general UFC document of 8-7-1 NC, arising brief in her remaining Octagon look to earlier PFL light-weight queen Kayla Harrison at UFC 300 final 12 months.
Holly Holm Was As soon as One among Finest Feminine Boxers in World
Earlier than changing into the ladies’s blended martial arts icon she is right this moment, Holm was a dominant pressure within the realm of boxing. Making her skilled debut in 2002, “The Preacher’s Daughter” went unbeaten in her first 9 bouts, amassing a document of seven wins and two attracts. Though she suffered her first ever defeat in her tenth stroll to the sq. circle, she instantly contended for the inaugural IBA Feminine Gentle Welterweight strap, which she received by unanimous choice.
For the remainder of her time in boxing, Holm had staked her declare to being an all-time feminine nice, successful 16 complete world championships and racking up a astounding document of 33-2-3. Within the coming years, she can be inducted into each the Worldwide Ladies’s Boxing and Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame.
Holly Holm Makes Crossover to MMA After Conquering boxing
Following a extremely profitable run in boxing, Holly Holm made the choice to totally transition into blended martial arts in 2013. Though she was primarily a boxer for the primary 11 years of her fight sports activities profession, she had taken a couple of kickboxing and MMA fights right here and there, notably competing in Bellator for a one-off struggle.
In her first 12 months of preventing in her new sport, Holm had carried out amazingly on the Southern United States regional scene, incomes the inaugural Legacy FC Ladies’s Bantamweight Championship. Taking her first seven fights in a row, she was known as as much as the UFC in 2015, making her debut towards and beating future 135-lb champion Raquel Pennington by cut up choice.
She then received her sophomore contest over Marion Reneau earlier than being thrown into her first UFC championship fundamental occasion reverse one of the influential athletes within the firm’s historical past, Ronda Rousey. By this level, Rousey was considered as a largely invincible determine on the planet of MMA, having defended her title six occasions. She was additionally a worldwide phenomenon, being amongst the most well-liked athletes on the planet. Nobody gave Holm an opportunity to dethrone “Rowdy,” however, in arguably the most important upset in UFC historical past, she rocked the world to its core by knocking out Rousey with an iconic head kick to win the bantamweight championship.
The victory immediately propelled Holm into superstardom, changing into a family identify within the sport. A profitable rematch towards Rousey was anticipated for Holm’s first protection, however, unwilling to attend lengthy for her rival to return, she accepted a bout versus Miesha Tate. The struggle went all 5 rounds, however after being caught in a rear bare choke, Holm refused to faucet and was put to sleep by Tate, dropping her newly-earned title in stunning trend.
Lengthy Highway Towards Prime Once more and Perennial Prime Contender Standing
Desirous to bounce again from the loss to Tate, Holly Holm took on surging Kyrgyzstan juggernaut Valentina Shevchenko, who handed the American her second straight set again by unanimous choice. Dropping two fights straight at bantamweight, she then opted to make a transfer up in weight to problem for the inaugural UFC Ladies’s Featherweight Championship towards Dutch kickboxing sensation Germaine de Randamie.
In what ought to have been an thrilling conflict between two of ladies’s MMA greats, the competition was marred with controversy after the European repeatedly struck Holm after the bell on two totally different events. Regardless of these egregious fouls, de Randamie was not deducted any factors, resulting in widespread criticism by followers, fighters, and pundits alike towards the referee.
The bout was shut on the scorecards, however, ultimately, it was de Randamie who received her hand raised to turn into the brand new 145-lb champion whereas dealing Holm her third straight loss.
This wasn’t the final time Holly Holm ever fought for a UFC title, nevertheless, as she would see two extra championship alternatives, one at featherweight towards Cris Cyborg and once more at bantamweight reverse Amanda Nunes. She didn’t win promotional gold in both of those bouts, arising brief with Cyborg by unanimous choice and crumbling to Nunes by, sarcastically, a head kick.
Though she went on to assert a number of extra stellar victories versus different top-tier ladies’s fighters like Pennington for a second time, Yana Santos, and Irene Aldana, Holly Holm by no means once more reached the top of the game. Competing on what was to be her remaining UFC card of her profession on the blockbuster occasion UFC 300, she stepped as much as face newly-acquired PFL standout Kayla Harrison. Being 42 years outdated on the time, the well-past-her-prime Holly Holm stood no likelihood towards the youthful Harrison, who blew by means of the previous champion in simply over two rounds by rear-naked choke.
The place Does Holly Holm Go From Right here?
Whereas she exits the promotion on a two-fight winless streak, Holly Holm will all the time be remembered as a legendary determine within the UFC. Having crossed paths with the very best of her technology, she simply stands amongst probably the most veteran feminine fighters within the international chief in fight sports activities. The place she goes from right here is unsure. Nevertheless, in line with her agent per Ariel Helwani, she has a number of choices forward of her within the remaining years of her profession, together with a return to boxing.
Breaking:
Holly Holm has parted methods with the UFC and is now a free agent.
She had two fights left on her deal, requested to discover different alternatives and the UFC obliged.
She plans on persevering with to struggle and is open to MMA or boxing, her long-time agent Lenny Fresquez tells…
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 14, 2025
Wherever she decides to go, although, the world will always remember when Holly Holm made the not possible occur to turn into among the finest feminine fighters of all time.
