You haven’t started watching MMA yet, and Holly Holm and Ronda Rousey have already gathered 56,214 people during their fight in Melbourne. Each of them, who didn’t blink or turn away, managed to see how Holly kicked the head, Rhonda fell in a knockout for the first time in her life, and Holm also put on the UFC belt for the first time in his life. . That was November 2015, and since then only one UFC event has managed to break the live viewership record. When the belt was put on Holly Holm, Conor McGregor had yet to fight Jose Aldo, Khabib remained an injured prospect, Alex Volkanovski and Francis Ngannou hadn’t even competed in the UFC.
Holly Holm was born in 1981, she had her first professional boxing fight on January 25, 2002 and entered the UFC at the very beginning of 2015. Holly entered the fight against Rhonda with a 9-0 record in MMA and a 33-2 record in boxing. After the fight with Rousey, Holly Holm’s MMA rivals became much more dangerous, and in the next 11 fights the American’s stats were 5-6. If all goes well for Holly in the July 15 tournament against Mayra Buena Silva, then two straight wins will allow her to reclaim the belt.
Do you see this fight as part of your title quest or are you just fighting because you enjoy it?
“I feel like I’m one fight away from the title fight. But I never avoid fights, I never refuse, so I accepted. I was offered this fight and I accepted it.
– If you count your fights in boxing and MMA, it’s your 60th professional fight. When you started your career, did you imagine that you would have so many fights?
In fact, I had three more professional kickboxing fights around the middle of my boxing career. So there are probably 63 fights in total. I never imagined that my professional career would last so long. It was a happy trip and I’m very lucky to have been able to play for so long. I still love what I do and will continue until my heart stops responding to it. I realize that I am nearing the end. I hope for a few more fights.
Have you ever had to force yourself to take a course?
– Often. Even when I was twenty, you know? Sometimes you just don’t want to go to the gym, but you have to go anyway. After all, it’s our job. And I love this job. It’s the best job.
What I really get tired of is not related to training. It’s the pressure, the anxiety, the emotions. Above all, the tension before the fight exhausts me. But it also shows me that I care about being emotionally invested. And I say to myself: when I stop fighting, I will certainly not miss this!
– You trained with Mike Winklejohn in Albuquerque early on, remember the day Jon Jones came to the gym who later became one of the best fighters in UFC history?
– I don’t remember the details, but I remember how he entered, looked at the room, assessed if he wanted to make this room his new home. I did not train at the same time as the fighters of the heavier categories. I remember that I came when their training was already over. I remember John had good energy, he enjoyed the training. And then I felt that he would stay here for a long time.
Have you ever fought?
– We moved several times together, it was long enough. On the contrary, it was like light combat or shadow boxing. If he tried to hit hard, he’d knock me out in two seconds.
– Did any of your shock equipment take place during these detentions?
“…only because he tried to be nice to me.
– Many Russian fighters were training in the same hall – was there such a thing that one of them gave you advice that you remember?
– Not that he advised me directly, but I remember that Adlan Amagov showed very good roundhouse kicks and heel twists. So I learned a lot by watching it.
– Your fight with Ronda Rousey has long held the viewership record for the UFC. When you went out to fight, did you feel like 57,000 people were watching you?
Yes, I was under a lot of pressure. At that time, I wished I didn’t have to go through all that. I asked myself – why did I accept this? But such pressure makes the feeling of victory even more saturated. These are the costs of the profession. If you do not feel pressure, excitement, anxiety or other incomprehensible emotions inside, the victory will not be so bright. This is what makes victory so meaningful that you have gone through it all physically, emotionally and spiritually to prepare for the fight. During my life, I have learned to accept it.
Has your life changed in any way since you defeated Rosie?
– Yes of course. More opportunities opened up, more knowledge, more travel. It was the goal, I wanted to make myself known, I went there and I gave the best to continue to evolve. I would never have achieved anything in this sport if I wanted to “just participate”, I want to win and be on top.
– Before the fight with Ronda, they shot a very nice promo video, where they showed your journey in the sport from childhood to combat. Did you pay attention to this video?
— Great video, if people remember. This video is about dreams: we dream more when we are children, but adults also need dreams. I think this video resonated because everyone has dreams: someone wants to start a family, someone wants to become a leader, etc. And that’s what brings people together.
Have you spoken to Rhonda at least once since you fought?
No, we never spoke to him. I respect her a lot. Ronda has done a lot for the sport.
– Can you remember when you hit with a high kick – was it completely automatic or did you plan to hit it that way?
– After hitting her with a direct hit, I already knew I could finish her off. For me, everything happened in slow motion for a minute. From the outside, everything happened quickly – she fell from the blow, got up and I kicked her. But at that moment, I was like, “Don’t punch too fast while his hands are on the ground, wait, wait, wait.” Fight now.”
– You fought Valentina Shevchenko and lost by decision, would you like to have another fight against her?
“I would really like to fight her a second time. She seems to be performing in the category up to 56.7kg now, but I definitely won’t be able to drop to that weight, so revenge is only possible if she goes up. at 61.2 kg (initially Shevchenko performed in the weight class Holly Holm, specifying that drives almost no weight for this class – “”). She was the dominant champion. Perhaps the most skilled fighter Valentina does everything with incredible precision, and she is also very versatile, but she can also be defeated.
– Not so long ago, she lost against Alexa Grasso, what would you give as a prediction for a rematch?
Alexa is very tough. She not only picked up a victory at the very end of the round, but also showed herself well in the exchanges throughout the fight.
– In US news, they discuss the fight between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Do you believe this fight will happen, and who would you call the favorite?
– Hard to say. Mark has been doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a while now, but we’ve never even seen their training, only now information is leaking. I think Elon will show great strength, and Mark – agility.
– And who do you think will win if they fight?
Elon, but that’s just a guess.
Live broadcasts of the Mixed Martial Arts tournaments can be seen on and Match! Fighter”, as well as on the sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
