Holly Holm

Holly Holm (born October 17, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist, who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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

Her parents divorced shortly before she graduated from Manzano High School in 2000; after graduation, she studied for a year at the University of New Mexico.

Holm's path to a career in boxing and kickboxing began with aerobics 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 (IKF) USA National Amateur Championship Tournament, held in Kansas City, Missouri.

She fought two bouts in the tournament.

She won the first by technical knockout 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.

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 was a multiple-time world champion in boxing, defending her titles 18 times in three weight classes, and a two-time Ring magazine fighter of the year (2005, 2006).

She also has been named Ring Magazine 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 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 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.

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 teammate Keith Jardine.

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 veteran Jan Finney.

She defeated Finney by TKO in the third round.

She is ranked by BoxRec as the 12th greatest female professional boxer of all time, pound for pound.

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.

On February 28, 2013, Holm made her Bellator MMA debut against Katie Merrill at Bellator 91 in Rio Rancho, 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 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's most notable win in mixed martial arts (MMA) occurred at UFC 193 on November 15, 2015, in Melbourne, when she captured the bantamweight title and gave Ronda Rousey 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.

She is the only fighter to have won a major world title in both professional boxing and mixed martial arts.

As of January 23, 2024, she is #5 in the UFC women's bantamweight rankings.

and Fight Matrix currently ranks her as the 17th greatest female fighter of all time, pound for pound.

Holm was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the youngest of three children.

Her father, Roger, is a Church of Christ preacher of Swedish and Native American ancestry—as a fighter, Holly would later be nicknamed "The Preacher's Daughter"—and her mother, Tammy, is a massage therapist of Irish and French descent.

Growing up, Holm played soccer and participated in gymnastics, swimming and diving.