Holly Holm Hopes to Bounce Back from Her Title Loss in Chicago

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Local News

By: Michael Bacos

The UFC returns to the Windy City on July 23rd. The event is expected to air on Fox from the United Center. The main event will showcase former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, Holly Holm, against Kyrgyzstan’s Valentina Shevchenko. Holm shocked the world when she knocked out Ronda Rousey via head kick in November. However, she is coming off a loss against Miesha Tate in March, which cost her the title. “There are a lot of things I learned in that fight,” says Holm. “I feel like I was winning the fight and I’m very aware that it’s not over until the bell is done. Maybe I didn’t have that much of an urgency in the last round.”

Yet, Holm never underestimated Tate and she always has positive things to say about all of her opponents. While Valentina Shevchenko is 1-1 in the UFC, she is a renowned muay thai fighter. Both Holm and Shevchenko are outstanding strikers and MMA fans should expect an amazing stand-up battle. “She is a strong fighter,” Holm said of Shevchenko. “She’s strong in the clinch…just because we haven’t seen a ton of her ground game doesn’t mean she’s not tough there. I feel like she’s going to be a threat everywhere.”

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Local News

As much as she would love to get back in the title picture, for Holm, it’s about winning. “Bottom line for me: I want to win whether it’s for a belt or not. I don’t ever want to lose.” As for her win against Ronda Rousey, Holm said, “Taking out one of the most dominant athletes is what makes [her victory] sweet.” How long will Holm stay in the fight game? “I want to fight while I’m passionate, and when that passion leaves, I’ll retire,” Holm stated. Tickets are on sale for UFC on Fox 20 at the United Center. Prices range from $50 to $225 for cageside seats and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.

Photo Captions:
Caption: 1
Holly Holm kicks Raquel Pennington during her UFC debut at the Staples Center in LA. (Michael Bacos)

Caption 2
Holly Holm, right, celebrates after defeating Ronda Rousey, left, during their UFC 193 Bantamweight title fight in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

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