The UFC and former women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm have agreed to part ways after a 10-year stint in the promotion.
Despite suffering three losses in her last four fights, Holly Holm remained at the top of the women's bantamweight division and always seemed just a few wins away from another title challenge.
Her last fight was in April at UFC 300, when she welcomed promotional newcomer Kayla Harrison and was then dominated and finished by the Olympic gold medalist.
Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Holly Holm is leaving the UFC with two fights left on her contract
'The Preachers Daughter''s departure from the UFC comes as a big surprise as she still has two fights left on her contract.
Despite this, the UFC gave the go-ahead when the 43-year-old asked for her release, according to MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, who broke the news last Monday.
Holm told the promotion she wants to explore other options, likely coming to terms with the fact that she wouldn't be regaining UFC gold.
The former champion has a background in boxing and is a Hall of Famer in the sport and will likely find himself in the UFC Hall of Fame in the coming years.
According to Helwani, who spoke with Holm's manager on Monday, the 43-year-old wants to explore other opportunities in both boxing and MMA and is willing to compete in both sports. She is nearing the end of a career in which she finished 8-7 in league play. the UFC.
Holm won the women's bantamweight title in 2015 when she knocked out Ronda Rousey in one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history, becoming the first woman to defeat 'Rowdy' Ronda.
View Tweet
Where could Holly Holm end up after her release from the UFC?
With the growing popularity of influencer boxing and especially the Misfits promotion, Holm could fight under their banner, likely receiving a lucrative payday in the process.
Former UFC star Paige VanZant fought in Misfits boxing after her shocking departure from the UFC in 2020.
Despite this, it was recently announced that the rival MMA promotion to the UFC, GFL, will hold their first show in 2025 and that they have signed a plethora of former UFC fighters, most of whom are over the age of 35.
The aforementioned VanZant will be fighting in the promotion and they are hopeful of a product that can compete with the UFC.
It was recently revealed by MMA journalist Alex Behunin that the promotion is paying a former UFC heavyweight $1.1 million per fight.
With Holm open to continuing to compete in the sport, GFL is one of the few other options, along with the PFL, which does not have a women's 135-pound division.
Related topics
Comments