HOLLY HOLM RETURNS TO BOXING VS. YOLANDA VEGA ON JUNE 28, EYES TAYLOR-SERRANO WINNER
HOLLYWOOD, California — The only fighter to ever become a champion boxing and UFC is making her return to the squared circle.
Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions announced on Wednesday that former three-division boxing champion and UFC 135-pound titleholder Holly Holm (33-2-3, 9 KOs boxing; 15-7, 8 KOs MMA) is the latest marquee addition to its roster, and that she will return from a 12-year break from boxing on June 28 when taking on Yolanda Vega (10-0, 1 KO).
The 10-round lightweight bout will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, ahead of the Jake Paul vs. Julio César Chávez Jr. headlined card on DAZN PPV. The announcement was made after a press conference between Paul and Chavez culminated in Los Angeles at the Avalon Hollywood.
“The Preacher's Daughter” Holm, a 43-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a 2022 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, once held boxing titles at 140, 147, and 154 pounds.
Now she wants to become a four-division champion by also winning a crown at 135. That would likely mean facing the winner of the fight between undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, who are set to square off July 11 in a trilogy at Madison Square Garden in New York on Netflix.
“I don't think I need too many [fights to get ready for a world title] — one, maybe two fights,” Holm told The Ring and other media Wednesday. “Katie, Amanda, all of the names are in that weight class, so I got my eyes on the prize. Those two girls always show up and fight with heart. They go hard. I know it's going to be another entertaining fight, and I am excited for it.”
The 5-foot-8 southpaw Holm, The Ring's Female Fighter of the Year in 2005 and '06, last fought in a professional boxing match in May 2013. At the time, Holm had just three MMA bouts under her belt and went on to solely focus on the sport after beating the likes of Christy Martin, Anne Sophie Mathis, Diana Prazak, Mary Jo Sanders, Jane Couch, Chevelle Hallback, Belinda Laracuente, Mia St. John and Jaime Clampitt in boxing.
By 2015, Holm made her UFC debut as an unbeaten fighter and scored one of the biggest upsets in UFC history when knocking out Ronda Rousey for the bantamweight title.
“It was one of the most insane, legendary knockouts of all time, and now she's ready to regain her belt in boxing,” Paul said. “She's the greatest dual-sport athlete of all time, above Deion Sanders.”
Holm, who also had a successful amateur kickboxing career, lost the title after the Rousey fight to Miesha Tate and unsuccessfully challenged for a UFC title three more times against Germaine de Randamie, Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes.
Kayla Harrison's second-round submission win ended Holm's most recent MMA appearance abruptly in April 2024. After starting her MMA career 10-0, she's gone 5-7 with 1 no-contest in the last eight years.
In recent months, Holm signed a deal with the upstart MMA company Global Fight League, a promotion that still hasn’t gotten off the ground despite an announced and since-canceled show scheduled in May.
"I have a year or two of fighting left," said Holm. "I know that I am still ready to rock and roll."
Holm joins an MVP roster that includes elite female talent such as Serrano, Alycia Baumgardner, Shadasia Green, Dina Thorslund, Savannah Marshall, Chantelle Cameron, Ellie Scotney, Shurretta Metcalf, Jennifer Miranda, Tamm Thibeault, Elizabeth Oshoba, Ramla Ali and Naomy Valle, among others.
Many of these fighters have signed with the Nakisa Bidarian-led company in recent weeks.
