UFC inks former boxing champion Holly Holm for Fight contract.

[The Great Cochrane]

UFC has hit the jackpot in signing former longtime boxing champion Holly Holm to the octagon. The former champion took to her facebook account to announce the signing.

Thank you all for you patience in waiting for this amazing news!! I am indebted to my coach, Mike Winkeljohn, my former promoter, Lenny Fresquez, the team at Legacy (Mick and Andrea Maynard) and AXS TV, my sponsors RES Nation for helping me to get this honored spot and every fighter's dream - the UFC Thank you to all my fans who encourage me daily; I would not be where I am at today without you all. Love you all - God bless.

Holm recently defeated Juliana Werner for the Invicta FC Women's Bantamweight Championship with a Fifth Round TKO but broke her arm and will be out for the rest of the year.

Before entering the MMA fray, she compiled a professional boxing record of 23-3-2 with 8 knockouts and a kickboxing record of 2-1. Holm currently trains out of team Jackson/Winkeljohn in Albuquerque New Mexico alongside UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, Donald Cerrone and much more.

Author: Alex Cochrane
Cited source: Dana Becker (fightline.com)

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[MENTION=154]Swinny[/MENTION] [MENTION=60]The Linebacker[/MENTION]

Your girl Rousey's goin' down!!!!

 

[Postman Dave]

Competition for Rousey? I approve, I assume she'll get a couple of fights first before challenging for the belt?

 

[The Great Cochrane]

Competition for Rousey? I approve, I assume she'll get a couple of fights first before challenging for the belt?

Perhaps against Cat Zingano (who was supposed to be Rousey's second challenger before she tore her ACL). But other then that I don't really see any other competition for her. She's 7-0 in her Pro MMA career and so far presents the most skills on paper to beat Rousey. I explained my reasoning for such claims in this post.

Holly Holm presents the most problems for Rousey on paper. She's light on her feet and over matches Rousey in the terms of hand speeds and reach, she can get in and out a lot quicker then somebody like Cyborg and not fall into Rousey's trap like I'm assuming Cyborg would (who more then likely would fight her head on). Holly could strike from different angles with her reach advantage and avoid clinching with Rousey and prevent any takedowns.

Plus, Ronda's never dealt with anybody who's had the striking pedigree like Holly does. She probably wouldn't do it in the most exciting fashion but she can definitely beat Ronda for sure.

Overall she's just a stylistic nightmare for Ronda.

 

[Swinny]

I definitely think she needs a couple of big fights before getting a shot. I really need to see her in the UFC against the best girls in the world before I can consider her even a remote threat to Ronda.

 

[The Great Cochrane]

I definitely think she needs a couple of big fights before getting a shot. I really need to see her in the UFC against the best girls in the world before I can consider her even a remote threat to Ronda.

Then name somebody else who's a bigger threat to Rousey on the roster.

 

[Swinny]

Then name somebody else who's a bigger threat to Rousey on the roster.

Cat Zingano. There's no way Holly should get the shot over her.

Rousey is apparently taking some time off, so have Cat fight Nunes, if she wins that fight have her fight Ronda for the title and then there should be plenty of time for Holly get a couple of fights in there and prove herself.

 

[The Great Cochrane]

Cat Zingano. There's no way Holly should get the shot over her.

Rousey is apparently taking some time off, so have Cat fight Nunes, if she wins that fight have her fight Ronda for the title and then there should be plenty of time for Holly get a couple of fights in there and prove herself.

Cat Zingano definitely does NOT have the style to defeat Ronda Rousey.

She comes close but doesn't possess the style to do so. She'll rush right in for a takedown and go right into Ronda's world desperate for a takedown, hence forth playing right into Ronda's game.

It's not the fact that she hasn't had as many fights, it's what she's done in those fights that get her viewed as the biggest threat to Ronda. Sure, Cat could implement a different game plan, but how good would she be at it?

 

[Swinny]

Cat Zingano definitely does NOT have the style to defeat Ronda Rousey.

She comes close but doesn't possess the style to do so. She'll rush right in for a takedown and go right into Ronda's world desperate for a takedown, hence forth playing right into Ronda's game.

It's not the fact that she hasn't had as many fights, it's what she's done in those fights that get her viewed as the biggest threat to Ronda.

Why would she need to rush in for a takedown? Honestly I think she'd strike with Ronda and that's what she should do. That's why I think she is the biggest threat because she's well-rounded, she can outstrike Rousey and she has power not many women in the division do and while Holly does have that power as well she doesn't have the ground game to back it up if it goes there, which Cat does. I without a doubt think Cat would be Ronda's toughest fight to date. Can she beat her? I don't know, but right now I'm more interested in that fight than the Holly Holm fight.

 

[The Great Cochrane]

Why would she need to rush in for a takedown? Honestly I think she'd strike with Ronda and that's what she should do. That's why I think she is the biggest threat because she's well-rounded, she can outstrike Rousey and she has power not many women in the division do and while Holly does have that power as well she doesn't have the ground game to back it up if it goes there, which Cat does. I without a doubt think Cat would be Ronda's toughest fight to date. Can she beat her? I don't know, but right now I'm more interested in that fight than the Holly Holm fight.

Cat's a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, her strength is on the ground. The only fight we saw her in the UFC was the Tate fight and she fought Tate in a rather sloppy slugfest in which she narrowly came out on top.

If she does that to Ronda she'll get tied up and throw down so quickly it's not even funny. Holly on the other hand is a much more academic striker and has a better chance at avoiding being taken down in the first place than Cat does.

Holly has 10 times more the chance of beating Rousey than Cat does.

 

[Swinny]

I disagree but we'll see what happens. I will be interested to see who Holly ends up fighting in her debut and how that goes.

 

[The Great Cochrane]

Well explain to me how a sloppy aggressive stand up fighter who strikes in a straight line (who is pretty much bait for a Judo fighter) has more of a chance at beating a Judo fighter more than an academic striker who has 30 plus boxing/kickboxing matches to her credit.

 

[Swinny]

Because she has a hell of a lot more grappling experience.

Do you really think Holly can go five rounds without getting taken down and submitted by Ronda? Unless she knocks her out quick, but to do that she's gotta get awfully close to Ronda and that spells trouble.

I just don't see a boxer who has been doing MMA for a few years being able to avoid being taken down and submitted by a woman who has been grappling her whole life, won a medal in Judo, and has submitted great grapplers like it was nothing.

Honestly if it comes down to it though, I'd pick Ronda in either of those fights at this point anyway.

 

[The Great Cochrane]

Because she has a hell of a lot more grappling experience.

Do you really think Holly can go five rounds without getting taken down and submitted by Ronda? Unless she knocks her out quick, but to do that she's gotta get awfully close to Ronda and that spells trouble.

I just don't see a boxer who has been doing MMA for a few years being able to avoid being taken down and submitted by a woman who has been grappling her whole life, won a medal in Judo, and has submitted great grapplers like it was nothing.

Honestly if it comes down to it though, I'd pick Ronda in either of those fights at this point anyway.

That still doesn't answer my question, I asked why you think Cat has a better chance at beating Ronda. Not why Ronda would win a fight between the two.

And Judo is not an offensive style, the reason people fall into Ronda's trap is because they get too agressive and try to rush right in, and once Ronda gets a hold of them boom they go to the ground. And Holly is less likely to fall into that trap than, like I said, a sloppy aggressive stand up fighter like Cat is.

Holly has a significant reach advantage and striking advantage on Ronda and knows how to strike and do things that Ronda could very well not be prepared for (such as striking from angles). I don't care how good of a striker you are, angles are extremely troubling to deal with, especially with people that are extremely lengthy. My sparring partner is a heavyweight kickboxing champion and trust me, I definitely have trouble dealing with that.

Plus unlike Ronda, Holly has gone 5 rounds and finished. So she's definitely got the visible edge in cardio. Unlike Ronda, whose mean faced was wiped off real quickly in the Tate fight.