Holly Holm
THE FIGHTER
Holly Holm is the former world champion boxer who became the most surprising UFC champion in the history of the sport. Before entering MMA, she was a decorated boxing world champion in multiple weight classes — one of the best female boxers of her era, full stop. She transitioned to MMA because the women's game was growing and she wanted to test her striking in the complete sport. What followed was a career with one extraordinary moment that will be shown at every MMA retrospective until the end of time.
She knocked Ronda Rousey out in the second round at UFC 193 in Melbourne in November 2015. At the time, Rousey was 13-to-1 favorite. She had not been taken deep into a fight in years. Holly came in with a game plan — boxing footwork, counter-striking, body kick accumulation — and executed it flawlessly. The head kick finish was the most famous moment in women's MMA history up to that point.
She lost the title to Miesha Tate in the very next fight, which complicated the narrative, and then had an up-and-down career with a second title fight appearance at featherweight. But the Rousey fight is permanent. Holly Holm at her best is as technically complete a boxer as has ever competed in women's MMA, and that night in Melbourne she was at her best.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
SIGNATURE MOVES
BIGGEST WINS
Holly Holm is the mom who just quietly goes to church, smiles at everyone, asks polite questions, and then you find out she spent twenty years as a world boxing champion and once knocked out the most famous athlete in the country. Just an absolute jaw-dropper of a person.