INQUISITR.COM / Sports

Holly Holm Must Win Next UFC Fight — Or Risk Losing It All

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 04:55 PST, Jul 23, 2016

Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm is preparing for the most important fight of her career. Some would argue Holly Holm’s victory over Ronda Rousey was her most important fight. Others might argue for her loss to Miesha Tate. However, given the turn Holm’s career took after her loss to Tate, this is the bout she most definitely needs to win.

As MMAJunkie reports, we will next see Holly Holm in action when she headlines UFC Chicago on July 23. The 34-year-old fighter’s opponent will be Valentina Shevchenko.

According to ESPN, Holm is the favorite to win on Saturday, with expectations both women will go the distance. The current betting odds are -300 for Holm and +250 for Shevchenko. It’s believed Holm will be the winner via a unanimous decision by the judges.

While this vote of confidence may be emotionally reassuring for Holly, it’s important to remember she was the favorite over Miesha as well. In other words, nothing is certain. No matter how much is speculated, it all comes down to what the fighters can do in the Octagon.

For Holly Holm’s part, she has an impressive 10-1 career that might get sidelined if she fails to win. “Sidelined” in that rather than be treated as a rising star with championship potential, this match could be used to justify not letting her anywhere near a championship belt again. That should seem ludicrous given her fight record and her impressive Ronda knockout.

But things are very ludicrous in the UFC these days.

Despite being the No. 1 contender, Miesha Tate herself wasn’t granted a shot at the women’s bantamweight until after her long-time rival Ronda Rousey lost it Holm — the No. 7 contender going into UFC 193. When Tate took the belt from Holm, she went on to face Amanda Nunes rather than grant the former champion a rematch.

Some accused Miesha of purposely dodging Holly, who would have likely won had it not been for the submission. If this is true, she certainly paid the price in the form of a severely broken nose and lost championship.

https://youtu.be/aW4IhLVyDUo

To state her case, and prove she’s not just a fluke, Holly Holm is going to need to avoid back-to-back losses. A win would give her a chance to call out the current champion or at least demand a say in the title race.

Losing causes her to slip down the rankings and further away from the women’s bantam spotlight. That would likely be preferable to Ronda Rousey, should she manage to get her title back. Although a win would satisfy Rousey, the question of her “dominance” won’t ever be answered until she gives Holly Holm a rematch.

Even if Ronda doesn’t win the belt, the Holm question would likely have to be settled at some point if she decides to make a full return to UFC contention. That will be hard to do if Holm finds herself sliding towards a losing streak.

For her part, Holly Holm seems determined to keep her head in the game and says her biggest motivation going forward is that she absolutely hates to lose.

“My motivation is victory against Valentina — if I don’t win this fight, then what? A lot of people ask me, ‘Do you want to fight for the belt against [Amanda] Nunes or do you want to fight Miesha?’ Well, actually, I’m just focused on one fighter, and that’s Valentina. If I don’t get through her, there’s never another opportunity promised.”

Holly Holm is spot on. Nothing is promised for UFC fighters, especially those whose buzz is leaving them rather than increasing. To keep her hype up and changes for fights on the rise, Holly must find a way past Valentina.

Everything is on the line for Holly Holm, and that is going to put a lot of pressure on her.

Do you think Holly Holm will win her next fight? Is there a title challenge in her future? Share your thoughts below!

[Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images]

Share this article: Holly Holm Must Win Next UFC Fight — Or Risk Losing It All
ufc ronda rousey miesha tate holly holm
More from Inquisitr