This Date in 2011: Holly Holm’s Last Professional Loss

Those who saw UFC 193 witnessed what some would say is the ultimate upset; Holly Holm outclassed favorite Ronda Rousey and beat her handedly. Try as she may, Rousey could not match up with “The Preacher’s Daughter” in any way. Rousey was not able to go to her ground game, as Holly was able to strike her way to defeat “The Rowdy One.” Holly was Rousey’s toughest opponent, and for good reason.

Before she stepped into the octagon, Holm started as a kickboxer. After that, she decided to step things up and became a boxing machine. She had a dominating 33-2-3 record with nine knockout victories. She won several accolades as a boxer, including Boxer of the Year six years in a row for New Mexico Boxing. She also won the Female Fight of the Year award in 2011 and 2012 from the World Boxing Federation. The first award from the WBF is something to remember as she faced French boxer Anne Sophie Mathis in an unforgettable bout. I say this because thanks to Mathis, on this date in 2011, Holly’s second loss almost guaranteed she would never fight again.

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=iwDHXErdBjo

A scary sight to be seen in New Mexico. While Holm was the more established fighter, some could see an upset happening, like UFC 193. They were right. The fourth round seemed to be a fair bout with both competitors putting on a slugfest. By the sixth round however, Mathis was controlling the bout, throwing around a helpless Holm like the latter did to Rousey. Mathis was relentless, throwing shot after brutal shot towards Holly.

Once the seventh round began, it was game over. Up against the ropes, Anne Sophie Mathis just pounded Holm with gruesome jabs. After a few nasty shots, Holm was put to the floor, but the referee kept the fight going. Right after, Holm was hung up against the ropes in a disturbing way and the look on her face showed a defeated human being. The ending blow though was a sight to behold. A ferocious right hook knocked Holm down, almost through the ropes and out of the ring.

Holly Holm went on to face Mathis in a rematch a few months later in 2012, in which she beat her tough opponent. She later received her second Female Fight of the Year award.

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHgXN2P2vZU

The key to Holm’s victory was that she evolved. She stated in her win that she “overcame a lot of fears” in the second match. She went into the fire the second time and came out unburned. After that, she won two more boxing matches before starting in mixed martial arts. Ten straight wins and zero losses later, and she is now the Bantamweight Champion.

Holy Holm is indeed a fighting champion, utilizing her kicks and strikes as the ultimate weapon. If Ronda Rousey wants a rematch (it should definitely happen), she now knows it won’t be a walk in the park. She has a lot to improve on, as Holm did in her last loss. One thing is for sure: After her last loss a few years ago, Holm will not go down so easily anymore.