Holly Holm Discusses Thoughts On Move Back To Boxing

Holly Holm is stepping up to take on one of if not the most dangerous female fighters in MMA history when she meets Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino in the main event of December 30’s UFC 219, and while her professional boxing days are over, she still has a massive fight ahead of her.

The first fighter to beat Ronda Rousey in MMA spoke about her upcoming bout against Cyborg and her past career in boxing during a media scrum for UFC 218:

“I am done boxing. I don’t have the passion for it any more, and it hasn’t come back to me. Maybe that’s because I’m still fighting, so I don’t feel like I ever really retired.”

I didn’t know how I would feel when that fight was over, with a win if I’d be excited and want to do it again. With a loss, I’d probably want to do it again, because I wouldn’t want to end like that. When the fight was over, it was beautiful. It was in my hometown and they brought a beautiful bouquet, and I’m standing there, everything was a beautiful moment thinking, ‘I can’t wait to take my boxing shoes off.’”

The UFC has begun to dabble in boxing with their participation in Mayweather vs. McGregor. While UFC President Dana White hasn’t really discussed the exact specifications of the promotion’s future plans to get more into boxing, Holm made it clear that her boxing days are over:

“And, that’s it. I keep thinking, am I going to ache for it again? And I don’t. And it’s not because I don’t love boxing. I did, obviously. I did it for 10 years professionally. It’s just my new motivation is this new career I’ve been on. So I have no desire to go back to boxing.”