Holly Holm is back where she feels most alive, under the bright lights, chasing a world title. This weekend in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the MMA and boxing legend challenges Stephanie Han for the WBA lightweight title, a fight that could earn Holm her fourth boxing crown across different weight divisions.
At 44, Holly Holm continues to defy timelines. Her return is not driven by nostalgia, but by opportunity. During her time away, women’s boxing surged forward, gaining visibility, investment, and respect. Holm has noticed, and she wants in.
“I’m a fighter and I love to fight,” Holm said at the Serrano vs. Tellez pre-fight press conference. “I’ve just followed my passion where that’s taken me. It was with boxing for years, and then my passion took me over to MMA for years.”
Holm credited the recent growth of the sport, pointing to promoters who have elevated women’s boxing and created bigger stages for female fighters.
“Just seeing the opportunities that MVP has brought for women in boxing, to be able to come back and have even bigger opportunities coming back into the sport was something very intriguing,” Holm said. “Seeing these girls have that passion made me think, ‘You know what, I want to be champion,’ and come back to a sport that was always great, but now it’s getting the recognition it deserves.”
Saturday’s bout also marks new territory. Holm competes at a boxing weight class she has never fought in before, adding another layer to the challenge.
“To be able to fight in another weight division, I’ve never fought in this weight division in boxing before,” Holm said. “But I did many years in MMA, so it made sense to come back and fight in a division where I don’t have a major belt and fight for one. That’s my drive and that’s my passion.”
Beyond titles and divisions, Holm’s return reflects a deeper truth about elite athletes. The urge to compete never really fades. Whether in boxing or MMA, Holly Holm has always answered that call. On Saturday night, she gets another chance to prove that evolution, not age, defines greatness.
