Holly Holm is putting a short clock on the rest of her fighting career.
The former UFC bantamweight champion said she expects to be done within the next year, with only major fights left in MMA or boxing. Holm is coming off a controversial split-decision loss to Stephanie Han under the Most Valuable Promotions banner, a result she protested after their WBA title rematch went to the scorecards.
“I don’t know, but if I’m being really honest, I want big fights. I’m not saying that all of them are big fights for a title. Within the year and I’m done,” Holm said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “That’s where I’m at. I definitely want them to be fights that people want to see. I want it to be something big like that. And that’s where I’m at, whether it be MMA or boxing.”
Watch the full interview below:
Holm’s Final Run Is Built Around Big Names
Holm’s background explains why filler bookings make no sense here. She owns a verified 15-7 MMA record with one no contest, including eight knockout wins, and held the UFC women’s bantamweight title after knocking out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November 2015. In boxing, Holm has a 34-4-3 record with nine knockouts, and she was a multiple-time world champion across three weight classes.
Holm has not fought in MMA since Kayla Harrison submitted her at UFC 300 in April 2024. Since returning to boxing, she has gone 1-2, including the disputed Han rematch. At 44, Holm is not laying out a rebuild. She is talking about one or two fights that carry name value, stakes, or both.
Rousey remains the obvious MMA name because their first fight still lives rent-free in the sport. Rousey recently returned at MVP MMA 1 and submitted Gina Carano, then dismissed the Holm rematch while saying she could “clean [Holm’s] clock.” Holm said the rematch was never blocked by her side.
“I don’t think that she really wants to, and I’m not even mad at her for it,” Holm said. “I don’t want someone to get in there and fight if they don’t want to actually fight. Because I want someone who wants it.
“It’s never been because I said no. I 100% always said [if] she wants a rematch. I’ll give it to her. And I have respect for her. She was the dominant champion, and she is good. She just came back and did her thing. She’s good at what she does.”
Rousey’s latest answer was blunt. On Up & Adams, she first said, “I said I’m retired.” She also said, “A, and B, I think that I am a completely different fighter now, and I would clean her clock.”
Holm’s timeline leaves room for a Rousey rematch, another boxing title fight, or a different name fight with enough heat to justify the risk. Her own standard is clear. She wants fights people want to see, and she expects the run to end within a year.
