Holly Holm Meets Marion Reneau At UFC Fight Night 71

After a lackluster debut win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 184 in February, touted women’s bantamweight prospect Holly Holm has her next chance to prove that her hype is real.

Holm will face off with surging 37-year-old vet Marion Reneau at July 15’s UFC Fight Night 71 from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. After being rumored on UFC Tonight last night, the bout was confirmed by UFC officials today.

Former boxing and Legacy FC champ Holm brings an undefeated 8-0 record into the bout, but she’ll have to get past her Octagon jitters if she wants to contend with the top 135-pound women in the world.

She’ll face a very dangerous opponent in Reneau, who has already won two fights in the UFC in 2015 after she submitted the favored Jessica Andrade at February’s UFC Fight Night 61 following a decision win over Alexis Dufresne at UFC 182 on January 3.

Reneau formerly tried out for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 18 but was told she was too old by UFC President Dana White, who could certainly be forced to eat his words if Reneau pulls off the monumental upset over Holm.

UFC Fight Night 61 features a heavyweight grudge match former champion Frank Mir and longtime up-and-comer Todd Duffee, while rising lightweight Tony Ferguson will face what should be by far his biggest test in longtime veteran and former Strikeforce champ Josh ‘Punk’ Thomson.