Former UFC women’s bantamweight champ and International Boxing Hall of Fame member Holly Holm has a new six-fight deal with the UFC.
That kicks off at UFC San Antonio this weekend — and likely means that the door is closed for good when it comes to the sweet science for the former multi-time boxing champ.
“After my last fight, I wasn’t sure [what would happen]. I was hopeful we could come to an agreement to be able to continue my career with the UFC,” Holm (14-6) told media outlets during this week’s UFC San Antonio media day. “And I’m very, very happy to be able to have that contract signed. My mind of course is just set on this fight ahead of me, but I’m happy to be able to continue my journey with the UFC.”
Asked about her boxing pursuits — last year, she expressed some interest in returning to the boxing ring — Holm said that “I would say that’s it. We kind of talked about if something like that came up, if we could ever figure something out. I don’t know. My mind’s set on MMA right now.”
At 41 and with the potential of six trips to the octagon to come, that doesn’t leave much wiggle room. But later, Holm budged just a little. “I don’t know. Every year’s a new year.”
“I guess you never know. I guess if that bridge comes, we can talk and see what happens. There have been times that the promotions have crossed. I’m not going to say it’s impossible.”
Such a crossover, at least when it comes to the UFC, has happened exactly once before, when Conor McGregor forced the promotion’s hand for a fight with Floyd Mayweather. Other UFC stars have been forced to wait until after their run with the organization to come to a close prior to stepping into the ring — including the likes of Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo.
Holly Holm faces Yana Santos (nee Kunitskaya) at UFC San Antonio on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
