Holly Holm is peeved over missed opportunities as a result of injuries.
Holm hasn’t competed since October 2020. The former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion halted the momentum of Irene Aldana via unanimous decision.
“The Preacher’s Daughter” was expected to take on Julianna Pena in May 2021. Holm was forced out of the bout due to hydronephrosis, which is swelling of the kidney. She was then booked to face Norma Dumont in October but a knee injury sidelined her yet again.
Holly Holm ‘Frustrated’ Over Missed Opportunities
Pena went on to defeat Amanda Nunes to become the new UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion. Dumont scored a unanimous decision win over Aspen Ladd.
As for Holly Holm, she has gone through all of 2021 without a fight. Speaking to MMAFighting.com, she admitted that it’s hard to hold in her irritation.
“I’m super frustrated. I definitely am on the mend. I hope to be back in there, back training and get back in there. I’m feeling a little better. I had to take care of some things. It’s super frustrating, especially when I see people fighting, especially [Nunes vs. Pena] but all the time.
“Any time I watch the fights, it’s so frustrating cause I want to get in there so badly. I don’t want to embrace not being able to fight but I’ve been very fortunate to have a career where I’ve been pretty active. This last year’s had some stuff that’s been kind of from left field. I’m handling it. I’m going to keep pushing forward. I’m not going to let it break me and I want to be back in there very soon.”
The lost Pena fight is certainly one of those “What If” scenarios. Holm would’ve had a chance to stop any hope of Pena upsetting Nunes before the close of 2021.
The good news for Holm is that she isn’t expecting a long recovery time for her knee issues. Her only hope at this point is to avoid another injury as we roll the calendar over to 2022.
