Holly Holm virtually became a household name overnight after her stunning knockout of UFC darling Ronda Rousey. However, if you followed Holm's boxing career and were familiar with Rousey's knuckle game, it wasn't all that surprising. This is not to say Rousey couldn't win a rematch—she just might have to get Holm on the ground instead of trying to go toe-to-toe. Holm outclassed Rousey from the start by being the better striker, often making Rousey look like a fish out of water when she threw hands.
During her highly decorated boxing career, Holly Holm has been named Ring Magazine's Female Fighter of the Year twice (2005 and 2006) and left the sport with a 33-2-3 record. Holm also has a background in kickboxing, which she showed off during her last bout by repeatedly kicking Rousey in the abdomen. Holm's no slouch, so for those of you still shocked from the outcome of November's fight, blame Rousey's trainers for their asinine game plan.
Why? Because this wasn't Holly's first rodeo. Throughout her storied boxing career, Holly Holm has accepted challenges from more than a few worthy opponents. Most notable of them all were her two bouts against French boxer Anne Sophie Mathis. Both contests were slugfests that ended up winning Female Fight of the Year for 2011 and 2012, and both featured more than enough cuts, haymakers, and knockdowns to appease even the thirstiest bloodlust. The first bout in particular—Holm's last professional loss—was one to be remembered.
Holly Holm's career could've ended on Dec. 2, 2011 in New Mexico. She entered the fight against Mathis as the favorite and by that time was considered an all-time great in the sport. However, with only three knockouts to her credit and Mathis having 20, some felt like an upset was in order.
They were right.
Mathis, donning burgundy trunks, had three inches on Holm and packed a Herculean punch. Mathis' towering height and long reach helped her stalk the more elusive Holm. There was no corner of the ring Holly could escape to and by the sixth round she was out on her feet after a knockdown. Mathis was relentless, driving through Holm's best shots like a tank. The fight was dubbed "Eyegate," by the boxing community because the fight should've clearly been stopped right then and there.
The seventh round was even more gruesome. There was one point where Holm's left arm was caught in the ropes thus making her resemble a scarecrow, and Mathis threw three punches before the ref jumped in. Then, with the ropes helping Holly stay on her feet and her body language telling the tale of a woman defeated, Mathis hit her with a vicious upper cut and right hook that sent her through the ropes and almost outside of the ring.
Holly Holm would go on to box three more times after that, including a unanimous decision rematch win over Mathis just six months later.
While Ronda Rousey tried to eat Holm's punches as Mathis did back in 2011, her lack of boxing experience proved this was a losing strategy. After taking jab after jab, Holm used kicks to the stomach and the roundhouse to the back of her ear to put Rousey down and become the UFC Bantamweight Champion.
Holly Holm may not have much punching power or a ground game, but her striking experience, kicking ability, and remarkable chin have her undefeated at 10-0 in mixed martial arts. She's also been through her fair share of wars, so if Ronda Rousey is serious about getting her title back, she certainly is going to have her work cut out for her.
