Tag: Holly Holm

Former UFC champ Holly Holm, James Toney among Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Two former boxers and UFC fighters, Holly Holm and James Toney, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

The International Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2022 features two fighters who competed under the UFC banner.

On Tuesday, the IBHOF officially announced former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] and one-fight veteran [autotag]James Toney[/autotag] will be inducted as a part of the 2022 class. The induction ceremony will be a part of a three-year induction weekend, honoring the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2021, from June 9-12, 2022.

Holm and Toney are the first fighters to compete in the UFC to be inducted into the IBHOF.

While competing in kickboxing, Holm began her professional boxing career in 2002 and fought for 11 years before transitioning to MMA full time. As a boxer, Holm went 33-2-3 with nine knockout victories. She accumulated 14 world titles across the junior welterweight, welterweight, and junior middleweight divisions. Holm’s notable wins inside the boxing ring include victories over Christy Martin, Anne Sophie Mathis, Mary Jo Sanders, and Mia St. John.

After her boxing career, she made the switch to MMA and entered the UFC after competing for Bellator and Legacy FC. Her crowning moment came via head kick knockout of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.

Holm was also inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame as a part of the 2019 class. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony took place in August 2021.

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Toney, a three-division world champion in the boxing ring, amassed a record of 77-10-3, capturing titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, and cruiserweight divisions. “Lights Out” competed in MMA just one time. At UFC 118 in 2010, he stepped into the cage to face former champion, Randy Couture, in a crossover bout but lost via submission in the first round.

The full 2022 class of inductees include Miguel Cotto, Roy Jones Jr., Regina Halmich, Bill Caplan, Ron Borges, and Bob Yalen. The posthumous inductees are Tod Morgan and Chuck Hull.

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Norma Dumont pitches interim title fight with Holly Holm after UFC Fight Night 195

Norma Dumont thinks an interim title fight with Holly Holm is best for women’s featherweight after UFC Fight Night 195.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag] is proud of her win over Aspen Ladd in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 195 main event.

Despite a relatively lackluster unanimous decision victory over Ladd (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in the women’s featherweight headliner at the UFC Apex, Dumont (7-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) thinks she was able to show the world more of her skillset in the 25-minute affair.

Moreover, Dumont is just happy she was able to compete after nearly losing her opportunity when [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] pulled out on short notice.

“I knew (Ladd) was going to give me a fun fight,” Dumont told MMA Junkie and other media through an interpreter post-fight at UFC Fight Night 195. “She saved me because we were on the verge of not having one. She is a tough fighter, she is a fun fighter and I’m very glad we were able to get this accomplished.”

There was much criticism of the fight from spectators. The five-round contest didn’t offer much in the way of action or memorable moments, but Dumont didn’t have any negative words to say about her opponent. She thinks the result was more of her shutting down her opponent than Ladd not doing anything.

“Aspen did exactly what she does in her other fights,” Dumont said, “except this time she actually faced a fighter that can hit her, can stop her from doing it. … She’s not a fool. She knew if she came towards me I was going to knock her out.”

Given the thin nature of the women’s featherweight division, many fans and pundits viewed Dumont vs. Ladd as the de facto No. 1 contender fight in the division. With dual-champ Amanda Nunes currently booked to defend her women’s bantamweight belt against Julianna Pena at UFC 269 on Dec. 11, there are questions about who she will face when she moves back to 145 pounds.

Dumont wouldn’t explicitly say she should be next to challenge for the gold, but made it clear she’s open to all options.

“It’s a division where we don’t know who we’re fighting,” Dumont said. “I’m going to leave it to the hands of UFC. I’ve never backed down from a fight. I’m going to continue to prepare at the gym and I hope it is a big name and I hope it is a main event, as well, because I thought this was pretty cool.

One of those options, Dumont said, could be an interim title fight with Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) should Nunes opt not to come back in a reasonable time frame.

“I don’t want the division to get stagnant. I want us to have fights, so I’m totally willing to have that fight. I understand Amanda is going to do a title defense and then later on a possible fight with Valentina (Shevchenko), so we’d only be able to meet mid-year next year. I definitely don’t want to be not fighting that long. I think a fight, even for interim belt with Holly, could bring some attention to the division and have other athletes come into the division with the winner of this fight to go on and face Amanda.”

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Holly Holm injured, out of UFC Fight Night 195 main event vs. Norma Dumont

Holly Holm has suffered a knee injury and won’t fight Norma Dumont in the UFC Fight Night 195 main event next week.

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag]’s troubles getting back in the octagon continue with the former UFC champ being forced to withdraw from her upcoming main event.

Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC), a former UFC women’s bantamweight titleholder, has suffered a knee injury that has caused the cancellation of her scheduled matchup with Norma Dumont (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 195 on Oct. 16.

MMA Junkie verified the news with a person close to the situation who requested anonymity. MMA journalist Ariel Helwani first reported the news on Substack.

UFC Fight Night 195 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Holm, 39, was scheduled to face Julianna Pena in May, but was forced to withdraw due to a kidney issue that required surgery. She was booked to return to 145 pounds for the first time since June 2018 with the fight against Dumont, but it won’t materialize.

“The Preacher’s Daughter” hasn’t fought since an October 2020 win over Irene Aldana at UFC on ESPN 16.

Dumont, meanwhile, was looking for a signature victory on her resume after picking up back-to-back wins over Felicia Spencer and Ashlee Evans-Smith. The Brazilian has had some struggles making weight at bantamweight, so she moved up to featherweight.

It’s unknown at this time if the UFC intends to book a new main event on short notice or bump an existing fight up the headlining position.

The latest UFC Fight Night 195 lineup includes:

  • Norma Dumont vs. opponent TBA
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Andrew Sanchez vs. Bruno Silva
  • Manon Fiorot vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
  • Julian Marquez vs. Jordan Wright
  • Ramazan Emeev vs. Danny Roberts
  • Luana Carolina vs. Sijara Eubanks
  • Ludovit Klein vs. Nate Landwehr
  • Da Un Jung vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
  • Marcelo Rojo vs. Daniel Santos
  • Ariane Carnelossi vs. Istela Nunes
  • Danaa Batgerel vs. Brandon Davis

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (July 26-Aug. 1)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from July 26-Aug. 1:

Holly Holm returns to featherweight, meets Norma Dumont at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 16

Holly Holm is taking her talents back to the UFC women’s featherweight division for a matchup with Norma Dumont.

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] is taking her talents back to the UFC women’s featherweight division for a matchup with [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag].

Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC), the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, had been campaigning for a rematch with Miesha Tate next. She won’t get it, and instead will take on Dumont (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 16. The event does not have a location or venue announced.

MMA Junkie verified the matchup with multiple people close to the situation following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. The people requested anonymity because UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

Holm was scheduled to face Julianna Pena in May, but was forced to withdraw due to a kidney issue that required surgery. She told MMA Junkie this past week that she was interested in rematching Tate, who took her UFC belt in 2016, but the promotion has opted to move in a different direction.

“The Preacher’s Daughter” will compete at 145 pounds for the first time since June 2018.

Dumont, meanwhile, will look for a signature victory on her resume after picking up back-to-back wins over Felicia Spencer and Ashlee Evans-Smith. The Brazilian has had some struggles making weight at bantamweight, and now it appears the organization is pushing her at featherweight.

The latest UFC Fight Night on Oct. 16 lineup now includes:

  • Ludovit Klein vs. Nate Landwehr
  • Luana Carolina vs. Maryna Moroz
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Norma Dumont vs. Holly Holm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYvtAtZunbo

Miesha Tate responds to Holly Holm’s call for rematch: ‘Her and I will fight again’

Following return win at UFC on ESPN 26, Miesha Tate responds to Holly Holm’s call for a rematch.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag] is back.

The former UFC and Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion successfully made her return to MMA competition, scoring a third-round TKO win over veteran Marion Reneau (9-8-1 MMA, 5-7-1 UFC) in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 26.

Tate (19-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) hadn’t competed in five years, as she walked away from the sport in 2016. But being one of the bigger names in women’s MMA, the 34-year-old caught the attention of many with her comeback win. Former champion Holly Holm took to Instagram to call for a rematch with “Cupcake.”

Tate, who defeated Holm to become champion back in March 2016, is down to run things back with Holm but also wants to keep her options open.

“They’re all fair game, they can all get it, respectfully,” Tate told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 26 post-fight press conference. “I expect them to come out of the woodwork. I think a second fight with Holly, it’d be great.

“There’s a lot of women in the division, so name them all. I don’t know where I’ll come in the rankings right now, but you know I’m never one to say I deserve this or that. I understand I have to continue to climb. But whoever’s name is on that list to get to the top, that’s fine with me. And I’m sure Holly and I, I have no doubt about it, her and I will fight again.”

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Tate looked impressive in her return. She’s confident the best has yet to come in her storied career, as she feels the MMA world hasn’t seen her full potential.

“This is why I couldn’t stay retire, I felt like I had so much more to give and there’s truly a better version of myself,” Tate explained. “I didn’t want to leave thinking I didn’t put my best foot forward.”

As far as a return date, Tate looks to fight once again in 2021. She’s unsure of who will make sense next, but she does want her next opponent to be a progression to the UFC title, which Amanda Nunes currently holds.

“I want to let this victory settle, I don’t want to be in a rush, but of course I’m a woman on a mission,” Tate said. “I do want to get to the top. I think a fight by the end of the year is reasonable. I’m going to go home kiss my babies, enjoy this hard-earned victory, and in the next few weeks, my management and my team we’ll re-group and we’ll talk to Mick, Sean, Dana and we’ll get something lined up.”

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Holly Holm down to rematch returning Miesha Tate: ‘I always like to avenge losses’

Holly Holm hopes she gets the chance to cross paths with Miesha Tate again now that her former foe is back to active competition.

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] hopes she gets the chance to cross paths with [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag] again now that her former foe is back to active competition.

Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and Tate (18-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC) first met at UFC 196 in March 2016. Holm entered as the UFC women’s bantamweight champion just months removed from upsetting Ronda Rousey, and she came just minutes away from recording her first title defense.

Then Tate pulled off a dramatic title fight comeback. She rallied in the fifth round with a critical takedown, then locked in a fight-ending rear-naked choke to claim the thrown, giving Holm her first loss in MMA competition.

With Tate recently coming out of retirement after more than four years and booked to fight Marion Reneau on July 17, Holm has the rematch on her radar. However, she’s not going to forego greater ambitions to get it.

“My plan is to compete for the belt, so if that fight ends up being on the way there, then absolutely,” Holm said Tuesday on an ESPN+ Q&A hosted by Laura Sanko. “I always like to avenge losses no matter what, so yes, I would like to do that, but I think sometimes you can get so fixated on one fight that you’re not focused on whatever is coming your way.”

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At 39, Holm has no time to waste when it comes to deviating from the ultimate prize. She cares more about regaining the UFC belt than beating the specific fighter who took it from her more than five years ago.

Holm was recently forced to pull out of a matchup with Julianna Pena on May 8 that could’ve capitulated her into another title shot. She said her withdrawal came due to the medical condition hydronephrosis, which is an issue that results in blockage from the kidney to the bladder.

According to Holm, she’s experienced hydronephrosis for the entirety of her life, but only recently did it become a noticeable issue. She underwent a procedure and is back on track to return to training and start looking toward another fight, and she wants it to be one that can lead her to the title.

If that opponent happened to be Tate, then Holm wouldn’t mind at all.

“Whatever gets you to the belt, that’s my ultimate goal and it would be awesome if I could go through and do it all,” Holm aid. “Avenge my loss (to Tate), then go to the belt.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhhK3glZB-c

Holly Holm reveals kidney swelling forced her out of Julianna Pena bout, set for surgery

Holly Holm reveals that she is out of her upcoming bout with Julianna Pena after being diagnosed with hydronephrosis.

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] has confirmed the news that she has been ruled out of her upcoming bout with [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag].

Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC), who was scheduled to meet Pena at UFC Fight Night on May 8, has been diagnosed with hydronephrosis – a swelling in the kidneys that occurs when urine fails to properly drain from the kidney to the bladder. Pena revealed Holm’s withdrawal via social media during UFC 259.

Holm says she’s been experiencing sharp, recurring pain in her abdomen, which eventually prompted her to go to the hospital last Wednesday. The former UFC bantamweight champion is now expecting to undergo a procedure that will sideline her for about four to six weeks and is hoping that her fight with Pena (10-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) gets rebooked later this summer.

“Hydronephrosis-what?!

Much love to everyone reaching out with care and concern. Turns out I have hydronephrosis. In my case it’s something they say I was born with but just hadn’t had any problems until now. I’m doing great and will be fine. A little bump in the road but thankfully it’s fixable. I hope to only have to postpone a few weeks from the original date of May 8 to fight. Excited to get back in there and put it all on the line for you guys!!!”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CMLbyUXF7iS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Since Pena announced Holm’s withdrawal, she has been campaigning for a crack at dual-champion Amanda Nunes’ bantamweight title. Nunes is coming off a quick finish over Megan Anderson at UFC 259 for her second featherweight title defense and Dana White said he’s looking to have Nunes make a quick turnaround and defend her 135-pound strap. White sounded open to the idea of Pena getting the shot, but with Holm saying she won’t be sidelined for long, her fight with Pena may end up getting rebooked.

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Holly Holm: Claressa Shields has tools, ambition to excel in MMA

Ex-UFC champ Holly Holm, herself a former boxer who transitioned to MMA, has been training with Claressa Shields at Jackson Wink.

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Claressa Shields[/autotag] has what it takes to find success in MMA.

Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and boxing champion, signed a contract with PFL last November in which she’ll make her MMA debut and compete in one-off fights at lightweight. She won’t partake in the upcoming season.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Holm, who transitioned from boxing to MMA herself, is the perfect person to give insight into Shields, who no doubt should be aiming for the same success. The pair have been training together at Jackson Wink MMA where Shields has been working on her kicks, clinch work and wrestling.

While Shields is currently dabbling in both MMA and boxing, Holm thinks she’s garnered enough experience in her combat sports career, which should help her once she’s in the cage. Through working with her, Holm can tell that Shields is taking this seriously and has the drive to succeed.

“I think some of the biggest things I truly feel going from one sport to another is being humble, being disciplined, and having your own self-drive and ambition,” Holm told MMA Junkie. “If somebody has all those things then they can do it. I think that she has the ambition, she has the dedication, she has the self-motivation, and if it’s something that she wants to do and puts her heart to – she’s a fast learner, she’ll be able to pick this stuff up, and she’s not new to being in the spotlight. She’s not new to pressure being on her. There’s a lot of things she’s already experienced.”

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Holm continued, “She’s been in front of big stands. She’s been in front of a lot of eyes just even as an amateur being in the Olympics and everything. When I was an amateur, I was fighting in front of 200, 300 people, so then my pro fight was already a lot and then my first title fight was like wow, it was kind of a different feeling. Then going into MMA still was more people watching at that time than what had been watching in my career, so she’s gonna have some familiarities of that. And anytime you experience it once, it’s always easier the next time around.”

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Shields is yet to have her first MMA fight booked, but she is scheduled for her next boxing match against Marie-Eve Dicaire in a 154-pound title unification bout on March 5. Holm will serve as part of the broadcast team for the all women’s pay-per-view event.

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Holly Holm: Road to Amanda Nunes UFC title rematch goes through ‘scrappy’ Julianna Pena

Holly Holm is willing to take out every top divisional contender if it secures a rematch with Amanda Nunes. And Julianna Pena is next.

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] was beginning to get somewhat impatient with her situation before finally securing a fight with [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag].

Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC), a former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, has been waiting for her next assignment since a dominant decision win over Irene Aldana in October. She’s trying to put together a run that warrants a rematch with dual UFC champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag].

It wasn’t easy finding a willing foe, though. Holm claims Germaine de Randamie turned down a rematch before Pena (10-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) stepped up for a three-round matchup at a UFC Fight Night event on May 8.

“It was one of those things where I really didn’t know when I was going to fight again,” Holm told MMA Junkie. “We were waiting for answers from Germaine. She said no. Then Pena said no. From what I understand, she said she only wanted a title fight. Then a lot of the other girls were scheduled or had just fought and I thought, ‘I don’t know who I’m going to fight or when.’ I thought, ‘I’m just going to keep drilling and trying to get better if something comes up,’ then it comes up. But I didn’t really know. Then sure enough, boom, Pena took the fight and we were ready to rock and roll.”

Holm is about as laid back a person as you’ll find in the fight game. She said she always tries to find a happy medium over being overzealous or overly passive about her career, but at 39, time is of the essence for “The Preacher’s Daughter.”

The wait got Holm “a little frustrated,” she admitted. But she also knows the reality of her position in the sport, and there needs to be a level of logic behind each trip into the octagon for a fight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhGXf28oRnE

Holm’s goal at this point in her career is to reclaim the UFC belt she lost back in March 2016. She’s had multiple shots to get it back and was most recently denied in her attempt against Nunes at UFC 239 in July 2019.

With Nunes holding UFC belts at both 135 pounds and 145 pounds, there are plenty of people gunning for her belt. Having already lost to “The Lioness” by first-round head kick TKO, Holm knows she needs to make a strong case for herself, and the only way to do that is by fighting the most viable contender.

“What makes that even harder is that Amanda fights at two different weight classes,” Holm said. “I want to show that I deserve to be there for the belt. … I want to fight the top girls, because in order to be the best you’ve got to beat the best. I’m not just always waiting for the title fight. I want to fight to get there. That’s the whole goal. Otherwise, what am I doing this for? I’m not doing this just for the paycheck. I’m not doing this just to participate. I’m not doing it just to say I did it. I’m doing it for a purpose, because I want to be the best in the world.

“In order to be the best in the world, I have to fight the best in the world and beat them, which is for the belt, so whatever I need to do to get there. Obviously make the right decisions for that. It’s not like I want to fight a (debuting fighter). I want to fight the top. Otherwise how am I going to show that I’m ready for this title fight?”

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Holm said her top desire was to rematch de Randamie, who she lost a controversial decision against at UFC 208 in February 2018. It didn’t materialize, and now she gets “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner Pena, who is coming off a submission of Sara McMann at UFC 257 in January.

Pena, No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s bantamweight rankings, campaigned for a title shot of her own after beating McMann, and she could potentially solidify it with a win over a former UFC champ.

No. 4-ranked Holm has no intention of allowing that to happen, and although she gives high praise to her next opponent, she’s confident the outcome will be in her favor.

“I think she’s got some skill,” Holm said. “She’s got skill in each aspect of the game. I could see her scrapping on the feet or being tricky on the ground. I think that her style, she’s like a scrappy fighter. Some fighters can make a fight messy, she’s like that. I think she’s definitely like that. You can’t count her out. Her last fight I don’t think she was necessarily winning until she finished the fight. So you can’t count her out.

“She’s not going to be mentally beat. I think that she’s not scared. She gets in there with every intent to want to win. There’s a lot of things that give her strength in a fight. I just truly feel like I can do better in those situations, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

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