Holly Rene Holm (born October 17, 1981) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

, who competes in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. She is the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, and a former professional

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

. She was a multiple-time world champion in boxing, defending her titles 18 times in three weight classes, and a two-time ''

Ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

'' magazine fighter of the year (2005, 2006). She is ranked by

BoxRec BoxRec or boxrec.com is a website dedicated to holding updated records of professional and amateur boxers, both male and female. It also maintains a MediaWiki-based encyclopaedia of boxing. The objective of the site is to document every profess ...

as the best female professional boxer of all time. She is the only fighter to have won a boxing world title and a UFC title. Holm's most notable win in mixed martial arts (MMA) occurred at

UFC 193 ''UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm'' was a mixed martial arts event held on 14 November 2015, at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was the most attended UFC event in the history of the company at the time, with 56,214 people filling th ...

on November 15, 2015, in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, when she captured the bantamweight title and gave

Ronda Rousey Ronda Jean Rousey (; born February 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler, actress, former judoka and mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand and is the current SmackDown Women’s ...

her first loss in the sport. According to ESPN, this fight is generally considered to be one of the biggest upsets in combat-sports history. As of May 23, 2022, she is ranked #3 in the UFC women's bantamweight rankings, and as of November 21, 2022, she is #10 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.

Early life

Holm was born in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, the youngest of three children. Her father, Roger, is a

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16. * The entire body of Ch ...

preacher—as a fighter, Holly would later be nicknamed "The Preacher's Daughter"—and her mother, Tammy, is a massage therapist. Holm is of primarily

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

descent. Growing up, Holm played

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

and participated in

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

and

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), a ...

. Her parents divorced shortly before she graduated from

Manzano High School Manzano High School is a public high school located in northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is part of the Albuquerque Public Schools system. The current principal is Rachel Vigil. History While still sophomores, Manzano's first senior class ...

in 2000; after graduation, she studied for a year at the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

Amateur kickboxing career

Holm's path to a career in

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

and

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

began with

aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). It ...

classes when she was 16 years old. Her cardio-kickboxing instructor, Mike Winkeljohn, recognized Holm's potential as a fighter and began training her. In September 2001, Holm won the championship title in the International Rules Adult Women's Welterweight Division at the

International Kickboxing Federation The International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) is a sanctioning body for kickboxing and Muay Thai based in the United States. The IKF sanctions and regulates all aspects of these sports from Semi Contact IKF Point Kickboxing (IKF/PKB)) to Full Co ...

(IKF) USA National Amateur Championship Tournament, held in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, Missouri. She fought two bouts in the tournament. She won the first by

technical knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...

at 34 seconds in the first round. She won the second by unanimous decision. This was Holm's last amateur competition. Her overall amateur kickboxing record is 6–0–2.

Professional boxing career

Holm has held several welterweight boxing titles, been highly regarded as one of the best female welterweights in the world, and is considered among the best of all time, by some. She also has been named

Ring Magazine ''The Ring'' (often called ''The Ring'' magazine or ''Ring'' magazine) is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into questio ...

female Fighter of the Year, twice in consecutive years in 2005 and 2006. She is a big draw in her hometown of Albuquerque, having all but three of her fights there and just one of her fights outside of her home state of New Mexico. In June 2008 she became the undisputed welterweight champion and holder of belts from 140 to 154 by defeating former champ

Mary Jo Sanders Mary Jo Sanders (born January 13, 1974) is an American retired professional boxer. She is also daughter of NFL Hall of Famer, Charlie Sanders. In a highly anticipated bout in 2008 with Holly Holm Holly Rene Holm (born October 17, 1981) is ...

by decision. They had a rematch on October 17, 2008, at the Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit, which ended in a draw. On December 2, 2011, Holm took on knockout artist

Anne Sophie Mathis Anne Sophie Mathis (born 23 July 1977) is a French former professional boxer who competed between 1995 and 2016. She held world titles in two weight division; the WBA female super-lightweight from 2006 to 2008; the WBC female super-lightweig ...

of France for the vacant IBA female and WBAN welterweight titles. Holm was badly beaten by the stronger Mathis without the referee interfering, even going into the canvas without a count. She finally lost by knockout in the 7th round, which would be dubbed the upset of the year in women's boxing. The two fought again on June 15, 2012, for Mathis's WBF female, IBA female, and WBAN welterweight titles. Holm took a unanimous decision to win over Mathis, becoming the new champion and avenging her earlier KO loss.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Holm made her mixed martial arts debut on March 4, 2011, against Christina Domke at an event organized by her boxing promoter, Lenny Fresquez. She headlined the card with

Jackson's Submission Fighting Jackson Wink MMA Academy (formerly known as Jackson's Submission Fighting) is a mixed martial arts gym based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The gym has been featured in several sports documentaries and has been called one of the best MMA gyms in th ...

teammate

Keith Jardine Keith Jardine (born October 31, 1975) is an American actor and retired mixed martial artist who most notably competed in the UFC and Strikeforce. Jardine was known for upset victories in bouts he took at short notice against highly rated fight ...

. Holm won the fight via TKO in the second round after her opponent was unable to continue due to leg kicks inflicted by Holm. Holm returned to MMA on September 9, 2011, at Fresquez Productions: Clash in the Cage against

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

veteran

Jan Finney Jan Finney (born April 18, 1980) is an American female mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the 135-pound bantamweight division. Early life Finney played softball at Kenton Ridge High School and Urbana University. Mixed martial arts ...

. She defeated Finney by TKO in the third round.

Bellator MMA

On February 28, 2013, Holm made her

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

debut against Katie Merrill at

Bellator 91 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

Rio Rancho Rio Rancho ( es, Río Rancho) is the most populous and only city in Sandoval County, part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into northern Bernalillo County. It is ...

, New Mexico. Holm won the bout via TKO in the second round. Holm announced that she would retire from boxing after her May 11, 2013, boxing match against

Mary McGee Mary McGee (born December 12, 1936) is an American motorsport racing pioneer. She was the first woman to compete in motorcycle road racing and motocross events in the United States. Starting out as a sports car racer, she competed in motorcycle r ...

so that she can fully concentrate on her MMA career. The message came as a punctuation in the negotiations to arrange a title-battle between Holm and the Norwegian champion Cecilia Brækhus. Holm went on to defeat McGee via unanimous decision, for her boxing retirement bout.

Legacy Fighting Championship

On July 19, 2013, Holm faced Allanna Jones at Legacy Fighting Championship 21. She won the fight by head-kick knockout in the second round. Holm was expected to face Erica Paes at Legacy Fighting Championship 24 on October 11, 2013. However, Paes was removed from the card and Holm instead faced Nikki Knudsen. Holm won the fight via TKO due to a body kick and knees in round two. On December 6, 2013, Holm faced Angela Hayes at Fresquez Productions: Havoc. She won the fight via unanimous decision. On April 4, 2014, Holm faced Juliana Werner for the inaugural Legacy FC Women's Bantamweight Championship. She won the bout and title via TKO in the fifth round due to a head kick and punches. Holm broke her left arm during the first round of the bout.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On July 10, 2014, the media announced that Holm had signed a multi-fight deal with the

(UFC). Later in an interview with MMA Junkie, Holm's manager Lenny Fresquez disclosed that Holm's contract is for five fights. Holm was expected to make her debut at

UFC 181 ''UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II'' was a mixed martial arts event held on December 6, 2014, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background UFC 181 was the organization's 300th event and was expected to be headlined by a Middlew ...

against

Raquel Pennington Raquel Len Pennington (born September 5, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in Ultimate Fighting Championship women's featherweight division. She has previously fought for Invicta Fighting Championships. As of May 23, 2022, ...

. However, on November 13, Holm was forced to pull out due to an undisclosed injury. The two fighters faced each other at

UFC 184 ''UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano'' was a mixed martial arts event held on February 28, 2015, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort was expected to serve ...

. Holm won the bout by split decision (29–28, 28–29, and 30–27). Holm faced

Marion Reneau Marion Elizabeth Reneau-Perez (born June 20, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who competed as a Bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Reneau began her professional mixed martia ...

on July 15, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 71 ''UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 71'') was a mixed martial arts event held on July 15, 2015, at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. Background The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout b ...

. Holm won the fight by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–26, and 29–28).

Women's bantamweight championship

Holm vs. Rousey

In her highest-profile MMA fight to date, Holm faced defending women's bantamweight champion

before a record-setting crowd in the main event of

on November 14, 2015. Despite being a massive betting underdog, Holm controlled a majority of the bout with her striking and defended all of Rousey's takedowns. The second fighter to take Rousey past the first round (after

Miesha Tate Miesha Theresa Tate ( ; born August 18, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which she is a former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champions ...

), she won the fight via knockout in the second with a high kick, ending Rousey's undefeated streak and three-year reign as champion, causing her to spend the night in the hospital. Holm was also awarded her first "Fight of the Night" and "Performance of the Night" bonus awards (totalling $100,000). By winning the title, she became the first person to win championships in both boxing and MMA. Following the bout, UFC fighter

Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which he has competed in the light heavyweight division. He is a former two-time UFC L ...

said he thought Holm was "already the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) of women's combat sports". Her hometown,

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, New Mexico, proclaimed November "Holly Holm Month". In her first title defense, Holm lost to

in the fifth round on March 5, 2016, at

UFC 196 ''UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz'' was a mixed martial arts event held on March 5, 2016 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was officially announced in November 2015 as "UFC 197," taking place on March 5, 2016 at HS ...

. After four rounds of back-and-forth fighting, Tate defeated Holm in the fifth with a

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikogi ...

. Holm was strong in the first round of the fight standing up but was less effective grappling with Tate on the mat. After Tate took Holm down in the second round, Holm almost submitted to a guillotine choke but wriggled out just before the bell. In the fifth round, Tate scored another takedown and locked in another rear-naked choke. Holm refused to submit, was rendered unconscious, and the referee declared a technical submission. Holm faced

Valentina Shevchenko Valentina Anatolievna Shevchenko (russian: Валентина Анатольевна Шевченко; born ) is a Kyrgyz and Peruvian professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai, Muay Thai fighter. She currentl ...

on July 23, 2016, at

UFC on Fox 20 ''UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 20'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 23, 2016, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background The event was headlined b ...

. She lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Women's featherweight championship

Holm faced

Germaine de Randamie Germaine Martha de Randamie (born April 24, 1984) is a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. Undefeated in sanctioned kickboxing bouts, she competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and was the first UFC Women's Featherwe ...

UFC 208 ''UFC 208: Holm vs. de Randamie'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on February 11, 2017, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Background The event was originally scheduled to take pl ...

for the inaugural women's

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

championship on February 11, 2017. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. At the end of the second and third rounds, de Randamie continued to throw punches after the horn had sounded and the referee stepped in, the first of which was a right hand that visibly wobbled Holm, who had already stopped fighting. The referee did not take a point on either occasion. 14 out of 23 media outlets and a majority of MMA fans still scored the fight in favor of Holm. Holm said post-fight that she believed both instances were intentional. She appealed to the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) to review the referee's decisions and determine an "appropriate result." On February 28, the NYSAC denied the appeal, finding "no clear error or violation of statute or rule."

Post championship

Holm returned to bantamweight division after losing the featherweight title bout. Holm faced

Bethe Correia Bethe Correia (; born June 22, 1983) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the women's bantamweight division. A professional mixed martial artist since 2012, Correia has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Earl ...

at UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia on June 17, 2017, in Singapore. She won the fight via knockout in the third round via a head kick that dropped Correia and then a punch. The win earned Holm her second ''

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

'' bonus award. This also set up her bout against UFC Women's Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg at UFC 219 In a return to the women's featherweight division, Holm challenged

Cris Cyborg Cristiane Justino Venâncio (born July 9, 1985), known professionally by her ring name Cris Cyborg (and formerly by her married name Cristiane Santos), is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist who as of January 2021 competes in Bellator MMA, ...

for the UFC Featherweight Championship on December 30, 2017, in the main event at UFC 219. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned Holm her second Fight of the Night bonus. Holm faced Megan Anderson on June 9, 2018, at

UFC 225 ''UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 9, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between ...

. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Holm was expected to face

Aspen Ladd Aspen Kohl Ladd (born March 1, 1995) is an American professional mixed martial artist who is competing in the Featherweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). A professional since 2015, Ladd started her professional mixed martial arts ...

in a bantamweight bout on March 2, 2019, at

UFC 235 ''UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on March 2, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light Heavyweight C ...

. However, on January 31, 2019, it was reported the pairing was no longer taking place at the event. On March 20, it was reported that Holm signed a new six-fight contract with the UFC. Holm faced

Amanda Nunes Amanda Lourenço Nunes (born May 30, 1988) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current UFC Women's Featherweight Champion and two-time UFC Women's Bantamw ...

for the Women's bantamweight championship on July 6, 2019, at

UFC 239 ''UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on July 6, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light ...

. She lost the fight via technical knockout in round one after being dropped by a head kick and finished with follow-up punches by Nunes. Holm was scheduled to face

on October 6, 2019, at

UFC 243 ''UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 6, 2019, at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Background The event was the ...

. However, on September 27, it was revealed that Holm withdrew from the bout due to a hamstring injury and the bout was cancelled. The pair was rescheduled to fight on January 18, 2020, at

UFC 246 ''UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 18, 2020 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...

. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Holm was scheduled to face

Irene Aldana Irene Robles Aldana (born March 26, 1988) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Women’s Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of May 23, 2022, she is #4 in the UFC women ...

on August 1, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan, but Aldana withdrew after testing positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Holm was removed from the card as well and the pairing was rescheduled for October 4, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana. Holm won the fight by a unanimous decision. Holm was scheduled to face

Julianna Peña Julianna Nicole Peña (born August 19, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where she is the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion. Peña is th ...

on May 8, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 24. However, Holm was forced to withdraw from the bout, citing

hydronephrosis Hydronephrosis describes hydrostatic dilation of the renal pelvis and calyces as a result of obstruction to urine flow downstream. Alternatively, hydroureter describes the dilation of the ureter, and hydronephroureter describes the dilation of t ...

. Holm was scheduled to face

Norma Dumont Norma Dumont Viana Ferreira (born October 1, 1990) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist in the Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Profes ...

in a featherweight bout on October 16, 2021, at

UFC Fight Night 195 ''UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 195'', ''UFC Vegas 40'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 53'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 16, 2021, at the UFC A ...

. However, Holm withdrew from the bout due to a knee injury, and she was replaced by

. Holm faced

Ketlen Vieira Ketlen Vieira da Silva (born August 26, 1991) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of January 17, 2023, she is ranked #4 in the UFC women's bantam ...

on May 21, 2022, at

UFC Fight Night 206 ''UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Vieira'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 206'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 64'' or ''UFC Vegas 55'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 21, 2022, at the UFC Apex f ...

. She lost the fight via controversial split decision. 18 out of 20 media outlets scored the bout as a win for Holm. Holm is scheduled to face

Yana Kunitskaya Iana "Yana" Kunitskaya (born November 11, 1989) is a Russian mixed martial artist competing in the bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 19, 2022, she is #6 in the UFC women's bantamweight rankings. ...

on March 25, 2023, at

UFC on ESPN 43 ''UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Sandhagen'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 43'') is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on March 25, 2023, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, United ...

Fighting style

Holm employs frequent lateral movement while working stiff jabs to an opponent's head. When standing within the pocket, she often waits to attack with counter-strikes, usually employing a straight left hand. Holm is also known for her punching combinations, typically done while her opponents are against the cage. Decorated boxer and

ONE Championship ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed ...

fighter

Ana Julaton } Luciana Bonifacio Julaton is an American former professional boxer and mixed martial artist. She was the first to win the Women's WBO Super Bantamweight and IBA Super Bantamweight titles. Nicknamed "The Hurricane", she is also one of the quick ...

has described Holm as a "natural mover", noting her footwork as an asset in setting up strikes. At UFC 193, Ronda Rousey took several blows while struggling to close the distance against Holm. Holm uses a variety of kicking techniques, often targeting the body with a fast side kick, pushing back a rush with a low oblique kick, and attacking the head with a left high kick.

In popular culture

Holm is one of several boxers photographed by artist Delilah Montoya and profiled in the publication ''Women Boxers: The New Warriors''. She appeared in the 2016 feature film '' Fight Valley'' alongside

and

Championships and accomplishments

Boxing

* Overall ** 16 title defenses won at three different weight classes * World Boxing Federation ** WBF Female World Light Welterweight Championship (One time) ** WBF Female World Welterweight Championship (One time) ** 2012 Female Fighter of the Year ** 2012 Female Fight of the Year vs.

on June 15 * Women Boxing Archive Network ** WBAN World Welterweight Championship (One time) ** WBAN World Junior Welterweight Championship (One time) ** WBAN World Junior Middleweight Championship (One time; First) ** 2012 Biggest Comeback of the Year ** 2011 Fight of the Year vs.

on December 2 ** 2010 Fighter of the Year ** 2009 Most Accomplished of the Year ** 2008 Highest Achievements of the Year ** 2007 Fighter of the Year ** 2007 Most Improved Boxer of the Year ** 2006 Most Improved Boxer of the Year ** 2005 Hottest Rising Star of the Year ** 2005 Upset of the Year vs. Christy Martin on September 16 *

World Boxing Council The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation ...

** WBC Female World Welterweight Championship (One time) ** NABF Female Light Welterweight Championship (One time) * Global Boxing Union ** Global Boxing Union (GBU) World Welterweight Championship (One time) *

Women's International Boxing Association The Women's International Boxing Association (WIBA) is a sanctioning body for women's professional boxing came into existence in July 2000, and quickly grew into a major force in the sport. History The WIBA was officially founded by American Rya ...

** WIBA World Light Welterweight Championship (One time) ** WIBA World Welterweight Championship (One time) * International Female Boxers Association ** IFBA World Welterweight Championship (One time) ** IFBA World Light Middleweight Championship (One time) ** 2006 Fighter of the Year *

World Boxing Association The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxi ...

** WBA Female World Welterweight Championship (One time; First) * International Boxing Association ** IBA Female World Welterweight Championship (Three times) ** IBA Female World Light Welterweight Championship (Three times; First) * BadLeftHook.com ** 2012 Female Comeback Fighter of the Year *

** Highest ranked female boxer in automated all-time pound-for-pound rankings at the time of her retirement from boxing. By the time of winning her UFC championship she dropped to #2 in pound-for-pound rankings but still was #1 in welterweight * The Ring ** 2006 Female Fighter of the Year ** 2005 Female Fighter of the Year * New Mexico Boxing ** 2013 Hall of Fame Inductee ** 2010 Fighter of the Year ** 2009 Fighter of the Year ** 2008 Fighter of the Year ** 2007 Fighter of the Year ** 2006 Fighter of the Year ** 2005 Fighter of the Year * Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame ** 2005 Female Athlete of the Year * International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame **2017 Hall of Fame inductee * New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame **2019 Hall of Fame inductee *

International Boxing Hall of Fame The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The I ...

**2022 Hall of Fame inductee

Kickboxing

** IKF/Ringside 2001 USA National Amateur International Rules Welterweight Championship ** IKF/Ringside 2001 Central Mountain Regional Amateur International Rules Welterweight Tournament Winner

Mixed martial arts

UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

(One time) ** Fight of the Night (Two times) vs.

and

(Two times) vs.

and

** 2015 Upset of the Year vs.

** 2015 Knockout of the Year vs.

** 2015 Newcomer of the Year * Legacy Fighting Championships ** Legacy FC Women's Bantamweight Championship (One time; first) *

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

** 2015 Knockout of the Year vs.

on November 15 *

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

** 2015 Upset of the Year vs.

on November 15 ** 2015 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year ** 2015 All-Violence Third Team * MMAFighting.com ** 2015 Knockout of the Year vs.

on November 15 *

MMAJunkie.com MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and is owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine'', ''ESPN The Ma ...

** 2015 Upset of the Year vs.

** 2015 Knockout of the Year vs.

** 2015 November Knockout of the Month vs.

Bleacher Report Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Aug ...

** 2015 Biggest Moment: Holly Holm Knocks out

on November 15 ** 2015 Knockout of the Year vs.

on November 15 ** 2013 WMMA Knockout of the Year vs. Allanna Jones on July 19 *

Inside MMA ''Inside MMA'' was a live mixed martial arts news magazine, which aired on AXS TV, immediately following the network's live AXS TV Fights broadcasts. Hosted by Mauro Ranallo and UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten, the series provided an in-depth look ...

** 2015 Female Fighter of the Year Bazzie Award ** 2015 Knockout of the Year Bazzie Award vs.

on November 15 ** 2013 Rising Star of the Year Bazzie Award *

World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...

** 2015 Female Fighter of the Year ** 2015 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year ** 2015

Knockout of the Year '' The Ring'' magazine was established in 1922 and has named a Knockout of the Year since 1989, based on the magazine's writers' criteria. Knockouts of the Year by decade 1980s * 1989: Michael Nunn ''KO 1'' Sumbu Kalambay 1990s * 1990: Terr ...

vs.

on November 15, 2015 ** 2015

Upset of the Year '' The Ring'' magazine was established in 1922 and has since named an Upset of the Year since 1970. The award, based on the magazine's writers' criteria, is given to a fight that resulted in an outcome that was highly contrary to general expectat ...

vs.

on November 15, 2015 *

ESPY Award An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...

s (

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

) ** Upset of the Year vs.

on November 15, 2015

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 14–6 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Vieira , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 13–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–5 ,

, TKO (head kick and punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:10 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 , Megan Anderson , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 219 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 ,

, KO (head kick and punch) , UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:09 ,

Kallang Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the no ...

, Singapore , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–1 ,

, Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 3:30 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 ,

, KO (head kick and punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:59 ,

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Juliana Werner , KO (head kick and punches) , Legacy FC 30: Holm vs. Werner , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 1:50 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Angela Hayes , Decision (unanimous) , Fresquez Productions: Havoc , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Nikki Knudsen , TKO (body kick and knees) , Legacy FC 24: Feist vs. Ferreira , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:18 ,

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Allanna Jones , KO (head kick) , Legacy FC 21: Huerta vs. Hobar , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:22 ,

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Katie Merrill , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:02 ,

Rio Rancho, New Mexico Rio Rancho ( es, Río Rancho) is the most populous and only city in Sandoval County, New Mexico, Sandoval County, part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into north ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 ,

, TKO (body kick) , Fresquez Productions: Clash in the Cage , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:49 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Christina Domke , TKO (leg kicks) , Fresquez Productions: Double Threat , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:58 ,

, United States ,

Professional boxing record

Kickboxing record (incomplete)

, - style="background:#cfc;" , , Win , style="text-align:left" , Alisa Cantwell , Ring of Fire 9: Eruption , style="text-align:left" ,

Baraboo Baraboo is a city in the Midwest and the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The largest city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2020 population was 12,556. It is situ ...

, Wisconsin , TKO , 1 , 1:30 , 2–1 , - style="background:#fbb;" , , Loss , style="text-align:left" , Trisha Hill , GKD Productions & Ring of Fire: Triple Threat Fight Night , style="text-align:left" ,

, New Mexico , KO , 4 , N/A , 1–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , , Win , style="text-align:left" , Valerie Anthonson , World Championship Kickboxing: Bad to the Bone , style="text-align:left" ,

Bernalillo Bernalillo () is a town in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 8,320. It is the county seat of Sandoval County. Bernalillo is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area. Histor ...

, New Mexico , TKO , 2 , N/A , 1–0 , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':

Pay-per-view bouts

MMA

Filmography

Television

Film

Personal life

Holm has close relationships with her parents and brothers. Her father always attends her fights, and for years assisted in her corner during her boxing matches. She and her father are partners in a real estate company and sold Jon Jones his home. Holm is a Christian and her faith background is in

Churches of Christ The Churches of Christ is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations based on the ''sola scriptura'' doctrine. Their practices are based on Bible texts and draw on the early Christian church as described in the New Testament. T ...

. Her mother, Tammy Bredy, has seen little of Holm in the cage and rarely attends Holm's bouts. In 2012, she married Jeff Kirkpatrick, also from Albuquerque, whom she met in college. In the beginning of 2020, it was revealed that the couple had separated in July 2019. Holm filed for a divorce and sought to get her maiden name back.

References

External links

*
Holly Holm
a
Awakening Fighters

Holly Holm
at

Legacy Fighting Championship Legacy Fighting Alliance is an American mixed martial arts promotion, created as a result of the ''Legacy Fighting Championship'' and ''Resurrection Fighting Alliance'' merger in early 2017. History Resurrection Fighting Alliance On October 11, ...

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holm, Holly 1981 births Living people Welterweight kickboxers American female kickboxers American women boxers American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners American female mixed martial artists Bantamweight mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing kickboxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists from New Mexico Kickboxers from New Mexico Boxers from New Mexico Sportspeople from Albuquerque, New Mexico American people of Swedish descent American people of Irish descent American people of German descent American members of the Churches of Christ World Boxing Association champions World Boxing Council champions Light-welterweight boxers Welterweight boxers Light-middleweight boxers Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters 21st-century American women

Early life

Amateur kickboxing career

Professional boxing career

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Bellator MMA

Legacy Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Women's bantamweight championship

Holm vs. Rousey

Women's featherweight championship

Post championship

Fighting style

In popular culture

Championships and accomplishments

Boxing

Kickboxing

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional boxing record

Kickboxing record (incomplete)

Pay-per-view bouts

MMA

Filmography

Television

Film

Personal life

See also

References

External links