Holly Holm has been around for what feels like an eternity. Now it is clear “The Preacher’s Daughter” is staying with the UFC until the end of the road.
The 41-year-old Holm has signed a new six-fight deal with the UFC. The first fight of this deal is a critical showdown with Yana Santos on this weekend’s UFC Fight Night in San Antonio. Though years removed from her prime, Holm is still a respectable contender at bantamweight.
Holm is best known for her industry-breaking upset of Ronda Rousey in 2015. Since then, she’s gone 4-6. Though it isn’t a great record in any sense, it’s forgivable considering those losses have come against the likes of Valentina Shevchenko, Cris Cyborg, and Amanda Nunes.
The controversial nature of the loss and Vieira’s immediate loss to Holm victim Raquel Pennington has helped preserve her #3 ranking. If Holm beats Santos this weekend–and DraftKing odds have her a -245 favorite to do so–then she’s knocking on the door for a rematch with Nunes.
Holly Holm continues to defy the odds ahead of a title shot
It isn’t exactly fun watching Holm fight nowadays. However, her ability to remain this efficient is a testament to her skill set. Holm went up against Murderer’s Row after beating Rousey, and the fact that she is still so hard to beat at this stage of her career is astounding.
Initially, this fight was supposed to be the final fight on her existing contract. With a long-term deal in place, it will keep Holm competing in the UFC.
This is likely going to be the final run of Holm’s incredible career. The good news is that she still has enough left in the tank to make it count.
