Holly Holm: There’s A Reason I Get Regular Title Shots
Holly Holm still plans on becoming a UFC champion again.
Holm meets Irene Aldana in a pivotal bantamweight encounter that will headline the UFC’s upcoming August 1 show. The former champion is coming off a unanimous decision win over Raquel Pennington in January as she bounced back from her first-round TKO defeat to Amanda Nunes in their bantamweight title fight.
With many seeing Aldana as next in line for a 135-pound title shot, a potential win for Holm over the Mexican could see her enter title contention yet again, especially if Nunes were to retire. It that happened, it would be her fourth title shot across two divisions since losing her title to Miesha Tate in 2016.
And although she has received plenty of criticism for her previous title shots, Holm, 38, believes there’s a simple reason why she keeps getting them.
“I’ve fallen short of getting that title back more than once, and it’s frustrating, but I know I keep fighting the very top-ranked girls, so I’m constantly right there,” Holm told MMA Junkie. “I’m still aching for it. I still want it. That’s a lot to say. Some people say, ‘Oh, I want the belt’ then they don’t really think about it. I know exactly how much work that takes to get there, and I know it took a big commitment.
“You’ve got to win fights along the way and when it comes, I can’t let the opportunity slip through my fingers again. Obviously it’s right there. I know people say, ‘Oh, she’s had plenty of title fights.’ There’s a reason: Because I keep fighting the best, and I keep staying right there. A lot of times I’m just one fight away. No matter what, I have Irene Aldana in front of me.”
Holm Prepared For Aldana
Holm won’t face an easy task either.
Aldana is a highly-skilled striker who has won five of her last six and is coming off an impressive knockout victory over the previously undefeated Ketlen Vieira. While she acknowledges the threats of Aldana, Holm plans on getting the win simply by being superior in every department.
“My goal is just to be clearer, stronger, sharper, and more well rounded,” Holm added. “I want to do all of that. I know she’s coming. She’s got a lot of movement; she’s got long punches and long arms. She’s one of the taller bantamweights.
“Every fighter brings their own strengths, and my job is just to be better at any of those things, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Do you think Holm will end up getting another title shot?
