Tag: Holly Holm

Kayla Harrison signs with UFC, set to debut vs. Holly Holm at UFC 300 in bantamweight bout

Plot twist! Dana White dropped a bombshell on the MMA world, announcing the signing of Kayla Harrison and her debut at UFC 300.

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] is now a UFC fighter, according to Dana White.

In a bombshell announcement Tuesday on Instagram, White said the former Olympian and longtime PFL star Harrison (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has signed with the UFC and will make her promotional debut April 13 at UFC 300 against [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC).

The bout will be at bantamweight, according to White. That will mark a divisional debut for Harrison, who has solely competed in the 145-pound to 155-pound range.

Harrison, 33, most recently competed at 2023 PFL World Championship in November when she defeated Aspen Ladd by unanimous decision. The bout was her only in the calendar year, as Harrison opted out of the promotion’s season format. After the fight, Harrison indicated it was the final on her contract.

However, PFL founder Donn Davis as recently as Monday said he thought Harrison would give them at least one more bout (via “The MMA Hour“).

Harrison is a two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion. She won the 2019 and 2021 seasons respectively, before she was upset in her only career loss in the 2022 PFL season championship against Larissa Pacheco.

Holm, 42, is a former women’s bantamweight champion. She competed twice in 2023 going 1-0 with one no contest (due to Mayra Bueno Silva’s victory being overturned after a failed drug test for ADHD medication).

The latest UFC 300 card now includes:

  • Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway – for BMF title
  • Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan – for strawweight title
  • Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
  • Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller
  • Cody Brundage vs. Bo Nickal

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Holly Holm seeks UFC 300 return, manager claims Miesha Tate turned down fight three times

Holly Holm’s longtime manager says Miesha Tate “wants nothing to do” with a rematch and they’ll request “someone tougher” at UFC 300.

Although the stars appear perfectly aligned for [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] and [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag] to finally have their rematch, it doesn’t appear it’s going to happen.

With Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) coming off a no contest result vs. Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC on ESPN 49 in July and Tate (20-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) recently removed from a third-round submission of Julia Avila at UFC on ESPN 52 in December, both women are in logical position to run it back.

Holm’s team, JacksonWink MMA in Albuquerque, posted on social media this week stating “The Preacher’s Daughter” was targeting a return to the octagon at UFC 300, which takes place April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and Tate was the ideal opponent.

According to Holm’s longtime manager Lenny Fresquez, however, the interest is not mutual, and he told MMA Junkie on Wednesday that Tate has a repeat history of declining a rematch with his client.

“She wants nothing to do with Holly,” Fresquez said. “She’s turned down the fight three times already. We are looking for someone tougher.”

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Tate, 37, defeated Holm, 42, by fifth-round submission at UFC 196 in March 2016 to capture the women’s bantamweight title. She was trailing in the fight, but managed to score a spectacular finish to claim gold and end Holm’s unbeaten run in MMA.

“Cupcake” told MMA Fighting this month that she was warm to the idea of a rematch with Holm at UFC 300.

“I think it’s a great time,” Tate said. “I think that sounds reasonable. I did I get a little bit of an injury leaving that fight. So I’ve got to get an MRI and check myself out just make sure. But it’s not very severe … I’ve been walking around, and I think I’m actually all right. I think I’ll be OK. So if I can do that, then I think Holly would be a fantastic one.”

Fresquez’s claims indicate Tate is not on the table for the next fight, though, but nothing has been determined with full certainty. The ideal timeline for Holm to fight would be at UFC 300, but her place on the card, nor an opponent, has been solidified.

“We are hopeful we will be on UFC 300,” Fresquez said. “No opponents have been brought up yet.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

‘EA UFC 5’ rating release for best women’s bantamweight: Retired Amanda Nunes still on top

Check out the game ratings for the top five women’s bantamweights in “EA UFC 5,” the top two of which are not active in the division.

With the release of the “EA UFC 5” video game rapidly approaching, fans are wondering who the best characters in each weight class will be.

MMA Junkie will have the answer to some of those unknowns, as ratings are starting to be unveiled ahead of the Oct. 27 launch (with access on Oct. 24 with purchase of the Deluxe Edition) for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

The countdown continues with the women’s bantamweight division, which does not currently have a champion after arguably the best female fighter in UFC history, Amanda Nunes, retired from competition earlier this year.

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Check below for a countdown of the top five rated women’s 135-pound fighters from “EA UFC 5,” who have their striking, grappling and health come together under a five-star system to create an overall rating out of five.

Ben Askren: Sean Strickland title win doesn’t top Holly Holm over Ronda Rousey as biggest upset

Ben Askren was impressed with Sean Strickland’s title win, but doesn’t see it as the biggest upset ever.

[autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] was impressed with [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]’s title win, but doesn’t see it as the biggest upset ever.

Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) was a big underdog against middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) this past Saturday at UFC 293, and was ably to defy the odds with a definitive unanimous decision win.

Magic happened in Sydney 100 pay-per-views ago when [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] knocked out then undefeated bantamweight champ [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag] at UFC 193. Strickland had a massive moment of his own, but Askren doesn’t think it surpasses Holm’s win.

“I don’t think this one tops Holly Holm over Ronda Rousey as the biggest upset of all time, and I think from a betting standpoint, that pencils also. (That fight was) also in Australia,” Askren said on Funky & The Champ. “I would look foolish, which happens sometimes, because I said, ‘I don’t see how Sean Strickland’s going to win.’

“I thought Sean Strickland was going to do what Sean Strickland did, which is try to walk him down and box him up. I thought there’s no way he’s going to do that for 25 minutes without getting clipped because Izzy’s got a lot of weapons. The fact that he would be able to do it for 25 minutes straight and not get clipped was so impressive.”

The narrative was that Strickland needed to mix his grappling in to have a chance against Adesanya. But Strickland didn’t even shoot once, and even knocked Adesanya down late in Round 1. He outstruck him over the course of 25 minutes.

“It was so impressive because Izzy’s tricky, he’s fast, he’s got a lot of tools – and Strickland shut everything down,” Askren said.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.

UFC contender Mayra Bueno Silva announces positive drug test, points to ADHD medication

UFC women’s bantamweight contender Mayra Bueno Silva is facing a suspension after testing positive for an ADHD medication, she says.

Top UFC women’s bantamweight [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] is likely to have the biggest win of her UFC career overturned due to the presence of a banned substance in her system that she says stems from the use of ADHD medication.

Bueno Silva, 31, defeated Holly Holm by second-round submission July 15 in the UFC on ESPN 49 main event. On Thursday, Silva has a disciplinary hearing scheduled at the Nevada Athletic Commission’s monthly meeting, which she revealed Monday is due to the failed test.

“It is with deep regret that I have to announce I failed a drug test that I took the week of my fight against Holly Holm,” Bueno Silva wrote. “I want to begin by saying I have never in my life taken a substance to enhance my ability in or outside the cage. I have tested positive for a substance that is consistent with the prescription medication I take for my ADHD. I have been dealing with this disorder my entire life and it affects me in a multitude of ways.”

“I have provided a plethora of documents and explanations to USADA and the Nevada State Commission detailing the disorder, the effects of the disorder on my daily life and my decision making in the ingestion of the prescription medicine. I am fully cooperating with USADA, the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the UFC to make sure that all information is available and I fully acknowledge the presence of the substance in my system. I discontinued this medication at the beginning of fight week, like I always have in the past. So while it appeared in a small amount in my system, I am told by experts that it would not have an effect on my in-competition performance at that level.”

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The hearing Thursday is expected to officially instate a temporary suspension until a sanctioning ruling is reached and announced at a future commission meeting. Punishment for the failure likely includes a suspension, fine, and an overturning of the win vs. Holm to a “no contest.”

“Please, before you make any judgements, understand that I have been dealing with this my whole life and I am devastated that this has happened in my career,” Bueno Silva wrote. “I look forward to coming to a resolution and putting this behind me. I look forward to fighting again for the best organization in the world. I am the next champion and I am ready to fight!”

The win vs. Holm was Silva’s fourth in a row, and she had aligned herself nicely in the discussion as to who should compete for the vacant UFC women’s bantamweight title. Other plausible candidates include Julianna Peña and Raquel Pennington, among others.

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Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Holly Holm after UFC on ESPN 49 loss?

Holly Holm’s future is shrouded in mystery after the 41-year-old former champ lost in the UFC on ESPN 49 main event.

(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Mayra Bueno Silva after UFC on ESPN 49 win?)

[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] may have seen her title chances slip away for the final time after her loss to Mayra Bueno Silva in the UFC on ESPN 49 main event.

Former champion Holm (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) suffered a second-round submission loss to Bueno Silva (11-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) in Saturday’s women’s bantamweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and at 41, the result puts her future in mystery.

Holm has long said she would only continue competing if she truly thought a chance at gold was within her grasp. The defeat to Bueno Silva makes that a more difficult question to answer for herself than ever.

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Should Holm retire? Should she make one more push to rebuild? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on her future after UFC on ESPN 49.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.

UFC on ESPN 49 post-event facts: Mayra Bueno Silva ties Ronda Rousey’s longstanding record

Check out all the post-fight facts from UFC on ESPN 49, where Mayra Bueno Silva put herself in the same category as Ronda Rousey.

UFC on ESPN 49, which took place Saturday at the UFC Ape in Las Vegas, had a slow start to the event, but ultimately ended with a bang.

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) continued her rise up the women’s bantamweight contender list when she scored a second-round submission of former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) to become a true title contender.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 49.

UFC on ESPN 49 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Holly Holm tops card with $11,000

UFC on ESPN 49 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 49 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $126,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 49 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 49 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bassil Hafez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Fransisco Prado[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nazim Sadykhov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Melsik Baghdasaryan[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tucker Lutz[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Viktoriia Dudakova[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Istela Nunes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Evan Elder[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Genaro Valdez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Azat Maksum[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carl Deaton[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ashlee Evans-Smith[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $49,000 while title challengers get $49,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-49 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,555,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,144,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.

UFC on ESPN 49 results: Mayra Bueno Silva ninja chokes Holly Holm, calls out Julianna Peña for vacant title

Mayra Bueno Silva kept her submission streak alive by tapping former champion Holly Holm in the second round at UFC on ESPN 49.

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] pulled off the biggest win of her career by tapping former UFC champion Holly Holm, and then proceeded to call out another former champ.

The women’s bantamweight bout served as the headliner of UFC on ESPN 49 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Bueno Silva (11-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) entered the fight with high confidence that she would upset the former champ, and she proved herself correct by tapping Holm (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) 38 seconds into Round 2.

Holm got the action started by blitzing forward with punches, testing the defense of her opponent early. Bueno Silva was ready and returned fire with a solid inside leg kick. Holm threatened a takedown attempt, but the fight would remain standing. Striking exchanges continued throughout the first with both fighters having moments, but the round concluded with Holm pressing Bueno Silva against the cage in the clinch.

Holm closed the distance and looked to get the fight to the ground early in the second. Just as Holm changed levels, Bueno Silva got her left arm under the neck, and quickly slapped on a slick ninja choke. Holm was trapped, and couldn’t escape the standing submission despite her best effort. The former champ had no choice but to tap.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Bueno Silva, 31, dropped to the center of the canvas to process her third-straight submission win, which came on the biggest stage of her career thus far. On her current run, Bueno Silva has won four straight, and may have another big stage to perform on in the near future.

During her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, “Sheetara” called her shot for the vacant women’s bantamweight title, and called out another former champion Julianna Peña.

For Holm, 41, the momentum of her unanimous decision win over Yana Santos in March is halted in the first stoppage loss since falling to Amanda Nunes in her bid to regain the title at UFC 239.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 49 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.