Holly Holm: The Preacher's Daughter — Fighter Profile, Career & Legacy
- Dana Black
- May 9
- 12 min read
Introduction
Holly 'The Preacher's Daughter' Holm is a former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion (UFC 193 November 14, 2015 to UFC 196 March 5, 2016), International Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2022 inductee, multi-time professional boxing world champion across three weight classes, and the only fighter ever to have won major world titles in both professional boxing and mixed martial arts. The Albuquerque, New Mexico-born Jackson-Wink MMA-trained boxer-and-kickboxer — multi-time boxing world champion with 18 title defenses, two-time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year (2005, 2006), BoxRec #5 greatest female professional boxer of all time pound-for-pound — is most globally-known for the November 14, 2015 UFC 193 R2 head-kick KO of Ronda Rousey in Melbourne in front of a record-setting 56,214-fan crowd, widely cited as one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history. She was released by the UFC at her own request on January 13, 2025, signed with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions in May 2025 to return to pro boxing after a 12-year hiatus, and is scheduled to challenge for the WBA female lightweight title in a rematch against Stephanie Han on May 30, 2026 in El Paso, Texas.
Contents
Quick Stats
Nickname: The Preacher's Daughter
Age: 44 (born October 17, 1981)
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
Reach: 69" (175 cm)
Weight Class: Bantamweight (135 lb), Lightweight (135-140 lb in boxing)
Stance: Switch
Team: Jackson-Wink MMA (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Pro MMA Record: 15-7 (released by UFC January 2025); pro boxing 33-2-3 (active in 2026 — WBA lightweight title rematch May 30, 2026)
Background
Born Holly Rene Holm on October 17, 1981 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Roger Holm — a Church of Christ pastor (the source of her 'Preacher's Daughter' nickname). She began competing in kickboxing in her youth before transitioning to professional boxing, where she became a multi-time world champion across three weight classes — defending her titles 18 times and earning two Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year awards (2005, 2006).
She made her MMA debut in March 2011 at age 29 against Christina Domke at an event organized by her boxing promoter Lenny Fresquez. She built a 7-0 MMA record across multiple regional promotions before signing a five-fight UFC deal in July 2014. She made her UFC debut at UFC 184 in February 2015, won her first three UFC fights (including the November 2015 UFC 193 R2 head-kick KO of Ronda Rousey to win the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship), and competed in the UFC for 10 years (2015 to 2025) before requesting her release on January 13, 2025. She trains at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque under Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn. She resides in Albuquerque with her husband Jeff Kirkpatrick, and signed with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions in May 2025 to return to professional boxing. She was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022.
Fighting Style
Boxing-driven counter-striking with elite-level lateral movement and head kicks. Holm's pattern is textbook Jackson-Wink MMA — multi-time boxing world champion foundation combined with championship-level Greg Jackson-coached counter-striking, the highest-output lateral movement of her championship-era prime years, and championship-level kickboxing finishes. The November 2015 UFC 193 R2 head-kick KO of Ronda Rousey, the multiple boxing world title defenses across three weight classes, and the foundational Albuquerque-trained kickboxing background are the canonical examples of her championship-level fighting arsenal. She employs frequent lateral movement while working stiff jabs and waiting to attack with counter-strikes, usually employing a straight left hand.
Her weakness across her championship-era prime years has been wrestling-and-grappling-driven elite-level women's bantamweight title contender takedown defense. The March 2016 UFC 196 R5 RNC submission loss to Miesha Tate (the title-changing finish), the July 2016 UFC 200 R3 submission loss to Valentina Shevchenko, the multiple decision losses to top women's bantamweight contenders across her UFC tenure (Cris Cyborg UFC 219 December 2017, Amanda Nunes UFC 239 July 2019, Ketlen Vieira UFC Vegas 55 May 2022, Yana Santos UFC Vegas 77 July 2023), and the April 2024 UFC 300 R2 RNC submission loss to Kayla Harrison reflected variations of the same pattern. Within her championship-era prime years from February 2015 to March 2016, however, her arsenal was the technical floor of UFC women's bantamweight competition — the foundational moment of women's MMA's mainstream-television breakthrough era.
Career Highlights
March 4, 2011 — Pro MMA debut vs Christina Domke. Won.
Pre-UFC — Multi-time professional boxing world champion across three weight classes; 18 title defenses; two-time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year (2005, 2006).
May 2013 — Final professional boxing fight before transitioning fully to MMA.
July 10, 2014 — Signed five-fight UFC deal.
February 28, 2015 — UFC debut at UFC 184 vs Raquel Pennington. Won by split decision.
July 15, 2015 — UFC Fight Night 71 vs Marion Reneau. Won by unanimous decision.
November 14, 2015 — UFC 193 vs Ronda Rousey. Won UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship by R2 head-kick KO; first major upset in women's MMA history.
March 5, 2016 — UFC 196 vs Miesha Tate. Lost UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship by R5 RNC submission.
July 9, 2016 — UFC 200 vs Valentina Shevchenko. Lost by R3 submission.
December 30, 2017 — UFC 219 vs Cris Cyborg. Lost UFC Women's Featherweight Championship title fight by unanimous decision.
June 9, 2018 — UFC 225 vs Megan Anderson. Won by unanimous decision.
July 6, 2019 — UFC 239 vs Amanda Nunes. Lost UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship title fight by R1 head-kick KO.
October 3, 2020 — UFC Fight Island 4 vs Irene Aldana. Won by unanimous decision.
May 21, 2022 — UFC Vegas 55 vs Ketlen Vieira. Lost by unanimous decision.
July 15, 2023 — UFC Vegas 77 vs Yana Santos. Won by unanimous decision.
April 13, 2024 — UFC 300 vs Kayla Harrison. Lost by R2 RNC submission; final UFC career fight.
January 13, 2025 — Released by UFC at her own request.
May 2025 — Signed with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions for professional boxing return.
June 28, 2025 — Pro boxing return at Anaheim vs Yolanda Vega Ochoa. Won by unanimous decision.
August 30, 2025 — RAF 01 vs Alejandra Rivera. Lost by decision.
January 3, 2026 — WBA female lightweight title fight at San Juan, Puerto Rico vs Stephanie Han. Lost by R7 unanimous technical decision (cut from clash of heads).
May 30, 2026 — Scheduled rematch vs Stephanie Han for WBA female lightweight title in El Paso, Texas.
Notable Fights & Rivalries
vs Ronda Rousey (UFC 193, 2015)
Holm's career-defining UFC win and one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history. She defeated Ronda Rousey — undefeated 12-0 reigning UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion and the biggest star in MMA at the time — by R2 head-kick KO at UFC 193 on November 14, 2015 in Melbourne in front of a record-setting 56,214-fan crowd. Holm became the first person to win major world titles in both professional boxing and mixed martial arts. She earned UFC Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses (totalling $100,000) and Albuquerque proclaimed November 'Holly Holm Month' in her honor. Jon Jones called Holm 'already the GOAT of women's combat sports' after the result. Rousey returned to MMA in May 2026 against Gina Carano on the MVP Card on Netflix.
vs Miesha Tate (UFC 196, 2016)
Holm's UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship-losing fight. Tate — the future inaugural Tate vs Holm UFC women's bantamweight title-changing winner — submitted Holm by R5 RNC at UFC 196 on March 5, 2016 in her first UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship title defense. After four rounds of back-and-forth fighting, Tate defeated Holm in the fifth with a rear-naked choke. The result was widely cited as one of the most dramatic UFC women's bantamweight title-changing finishes of the 2010s. Tate went on to lose the title to Amanda Nunes at UFC 200 in July 2016 and is widely cited as the woman who ended Holm's UFC women's bantamweight title reign.
vs Cris Cyborg (UFC 219, 2017)
Holm's most-watched UFC women's featherweight title fight. Cris Cyborg — the most-feared women's featherweight finisher in MMA history — defended the UFC Women's Featherweight Championship over Holm by unanimous decision at UFC 219 on December 30, 2017 in Las Vegas. The fight was the most-replayed UFC women's featherweight title fight of the late 2010s and confirmed Holm's championship-level competitive durability against the elite UFC women's featherweight title contender pool. Cyborg has subsequently competed in Bellator and other promotions.
vs Amanda Nunes (UFC 239, 2019)
Holm's most-replayed UFC women's bantamweight title fight loss. Amanda Nunes — undisputed two-division UFC women's bantamweight and women's featherweight champion — stopped Holm by R1 head-kick KO at UFC 239 on July 6, 2019. The result was widely cited as one of the most-replayed UFC women's bantamweight knockout finishes of 2019 — and a poetic full-circle moment given Holm's own famous head-kick KO of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. Nunes was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Modern Wing in 2026.
vs Stephanie Han (Boxing, January 2026 + May 30, 2026 rematch)
Holm's first WBA female lightweight title fight at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico on January 3, 2026 — Han defeated Holm by unanimous technical decision after the bout was stopped in the seventh round due to a cut on Holm's hairline caused by an accidental clash of heads. The rematch is scheduled for El Paso, Texas on May 30, 2026 — making this Holm's second pro boxing world title attempt since her June 2025 boxing return after her 12-year hiatus. Should Holm win, she would become the first boxer ever to win a world title after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (Manny Pacquiao, a 2025 inductee, fell short earlier this year).
Championships & Accolades
Former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion (UFC 193 November 14, 2015 to UFC 196 March 5, 2016).
Famously KO'd Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 by R2 head-kick — first major loss of Rousey's career; widely cited as one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history.
First person to win major world titles in both professional boxing and mixed martial arts.
Multi-time professional boxing world champion across three weight classes (welterweight, light welterweight, junior welterweight).
Eighteen professional boxing world title defenses.
Two-time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year (2005, 2006).
BoxRec #5 greatest female professional boxer of all time (pound-for-pound).
International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2022).
Final UFC career record: 7-7 across 10-year UFC tenure (2015-2025).
Final career professional MMA record: 15-7 across 14-year career (2011-2024).
Career UFC wins over Raquel Pennington (UFC 184), Marion Reneau (UFC FN 71), Ronda Rousey (UFC 193 R2 head-kick KO), Bethe Correia (UFC Singapore June 2018), Megan Anderson (UFC 225), Irene Aldana (UFC Fight Island 4), and Yana Santos (UFC Vegas 77).
UFC Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonus winner (UFC 193).
Honored with 'Holly Holm Month' proclamation in Albuquerque (November 2015).
Currently active in pro boxing — WBA female lightweight title rematch vs Stephanie Han scheduled May 30, 2026.
Current Status
Active in professional boxing. Holm's most recent fight was the January 3, 2026 unanimous-technical-decision loss to Stephanie Han at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico — her first WBA female lightweight title fight since her boxing return in June 2025 after a 12-year hiatus from the sport. The bout was stopped in the seventh round due to a cut on Holm's hairline caused by an accidental clash of heads.
She is scheduled to face Stephanie Han in a rematch for the WBA female lightweight title in El Paso, Texas on May 30, 2026 — promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions. She has not competed in MMA since the April 2024 UFC 300 R2 RNC submission loss to Kayla Harrison and was released by the UFC at her own request on January 13, 2025 (with two fights left on her UFC contract). She remains open to one final MMA fight (with a head-kick KO her stated career-closing dream) but is currently focused on pursuing pro boxing championships across multiple weight classes. She continues to train at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque under Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn. She resides in Albuquerque with her husband Jeff Kirkpatrick. She is widely considered one of the most accomplished combat sports athletes of all time and is the only fighter to have won major world titles in both pro boxing and MMA. November remains officially 'Holly Holm Month' in Albuquerque per the 2015 city proclamation.
Fun Facts
Her nickname 'The Preacher's Daughter' is literal — her father Roger Holm is a Church of Christ pastor.
Was the first person ever to win major world titles in both professional boxing and mixed martial arts.
Was a multi-time professional boxing world champion before her MMA career — defending her boxing titles 18 times across three weight classes and winning two Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year awards (2005, 2006).
BoxRec ranks her as the 5th greatest female professional boxer of all time, pound-for-pound.
Famously KO'd Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 on November 14, 2015 in Melbourne by R2 head-kick KO in front of a record-setting 56,214-fan crowd — widely cited as one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history.
After her UFC 193 win over Ronda Rousey, Albuquerque proclaimed November 'Holly Holm Month' in her honor — making her one of the only UFC champions to have an entire month dedicated to her by her hometown.
Was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022 — making her one of the only women ever to be inducted into the IBHOF before retiring from active competition.
Was released by the UFC at her own request on January 13, 2025 with two fights left on her UFC contract — making her one of only a handful of UFC champions to walk away from the promotion on her own terms.
Is scheduled to fight for the WBA female lightweight title rematch on May 30, 2026 — and would become the first boxer ever to win a world title after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame should she win.
Legacy / Verdict
Holly 'The Preacher's Daughter' Holm is one of the most accomplished combat sports athletes of all time and the only fighter to have won major world titles in both professional boxing and mixed martial arts. The November 14, 2015 UFC 193 R2 head-kick KO of Ronda Rousey to win the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship (one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history), the multi-time professional boxing world championships across three weight classes, the 18 professional boxing world title defenses, the two Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year awards (2005, 2006), the BoxRec #5 greatest female professional boxer of all time pound-for-pound ranking, the 2022 International Boxing Hall of Fame induction, the foundational Jackson-Wink MMA training base alongside Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, the 15-7 final career professional MMA record, and the 7-7 UFC career record across her 10-year UFC tenure together place her in the conversation for greatest female combat sports athlete of all time. The November 'Holly Holm Month' Albuquerque proclamation is foundational evidence of her hometown's recognition of her championship-era prime years.
What complicates the legacy is the post-2015 stretch — the multiple UFC women's bantamweight title fight losses (Tate at UFC 196 R5 RNC, Nunes at UFC 239 R1 head-kick KO), the UFC 219 women's featherweight title loss to Cris Cyborg in 2017, the multiple decision losses to top women's bantamweight contenders across her UFC tenure (Tate, Shevchenko, Vieira, Santos), and the April 2024 UFC 300 R2 RNC submission loss to Kayla Harrison that effectively ended her UFC career. The competitive resume is permanent and the championship-era prime years are settled. The legacy as the first person to win major world titles in both pro boxing and MMA is permanent — and the May 30, 2026 WBA female lightweight title rematch with Stephanie Han represents one of the most-watched comeback storylines in modern women's combat sports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Holly Holm still fighting?
Yes — but in professional boxing, not MMA. She was released by the UFC at her own request on January 13, 2025 after a 10-year UFC tenure. She signed with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions in May 2025 and made her pro boxing return in June 2025 after a 12-year hiatus. She's scheduled to challenge for the WBA female lightweight title in a rematch against Stephanie Han on May 30, 2026 in El Paso, Texas.
Did Holly Holm beat Ronda Rousey?
Yes. Holm captured the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship at UFC 193 on November 14, 2015 in Melbourne by R2 head-kick KO over Ronda Rousey in front of a record-setting 56,214-fan crowd — handing Rousey the first loss of her MMA career and ending her 12-fight undefeated run. ESPN ranked the result among the biggest upsets in combat-sports history. Holm was awarded UFC Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses (totalling $100,000) for the win, and Albuquerque proclaimed November 'Holly Holm Month' in her honor.
What is Holly Holm's professional MMA record?
Fifteen wins and seven losses across her 14-year MMA career from 2011 to 2024. She competed in the UFC from 2014 to January 2025 and is widely considered one of the most accomplished women's bantamweight fighters in promotion history. Her final UFC fight was the April 13, 2024 R2 RNC submission loss to Kayla Harrison at UFC 300.
Is Holly Holm a boxing world champion?
Yes — multiple times. Before her MMA career she was a multi-time world boxing champion, defending her titles 18 times in three weight classes. She is a two-time Ring magazine Fighter of the Year (2005, 2006). BoxRec ranks her as the 5th greatest female professional boxer of all time, pound for pound. She is the only fighter to have won a major world title in both professional boxing and mixed martial arts. She was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022. She challenged for the WBA female lightweight title in January 2026 (lost by unanimous technical decision after a 7th-round cut from a clash of heads), and the rematch is scheduled for May 30, 2026.
What style does Holly Holm fight?
Boxing-driven counter-striking with elite-level lateral movement and head kicks. Holm's pattern is textbook Jackson-Wink MMA — multi-time boxing world champion foundation combined with championship-level Greg Jackson-coached counter-striking, the highest-output lateral movement of her championship-era prime years, and championship-level kickboxing finishes. The November 2015 UFC 193 R2 head-kick KO of Ronda Rousey, the multiple boxing world title defenses across three weight classes, and the foundational Albuquerque-trained kickboxing background are the canonical examples of her championship-level fighting arsenal.
Where is Holly Holm from?
Born Holly Rene Holm on October 17, 1981 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is the daughter of Roger Holm, a Church of Christ pastor (hence her nickname 'The Preacher's Daughter'). She trains at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque under Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn. She resides in Albuquerque with her husband Jeff Kirkpatrick. November is officially 'Holly Holm Month' in Albuquerque per a 2015 city proclamation honoring her UFC 193 win over Ronda Rousey.
References
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