Holm will bid to capture a boxing world title in a fourth weight class when she takes on reigning WBA lightweight world champion Stephanie Han in the co-main event of the upcoming Amanda Serrano vs Erika Cruz 2 card in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday, January 3. The event will stream live globally on DAZN.
Holm will be making the walk to the squared circle for the 40th time when she challenges the undefeated 11-0 Han for the WBA belt over 10 three-minute rounds, and will see Holm look to complete a unique double achievement in women’s combat sports, by capturing titles in two sports in the same weight.
Holm (34-2-3) won the UFC’s women’s bantamweight title by delivering one of the most spectacular knockouts in UFC history as she stunned Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia in November 2015. Her knockout victory earned Holm the UFC’s 135-pound crown, and now, more than a decade on from that achievement, “The Preacher’s Daughter” will look to add boxing’s 135-pound title to her stellar resumé.
“I feel great,” said Holm, who held boxing titles at super lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight before switching to MMA and achieving global stardom and an undisputed title, in the UFC.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to fight for a fourth weight division title and add to my legacy on Saturday, January 3.
“I’m thankful for MVP and this opportunity and look forward to fighting in Puerto Rico, an island with a deep boxing culture.”
Han, meanwhile, welcomes the challenge of one of the greats of female combat sports on a night that looks set to provide a huge showcase for women’s boxing.
“From El Paso to the world stage, now I get to fight Holly Holm, in Puerto Rico, next to the island’s greatest boxer in Amanda Serrano,” she said.
“Every sacrifice has led to this moment, and I’m grateful and excited for the opportunity. Equal opportunity at that, with three-minute rounds.”
The bout was formally announced via a press release, with Most Valuable Promotions co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian sharing their excitement for the bout, and the event as a whole.
“Holly Holm is back challenging for a boxing world title, 12 years after leaving the sport, and doing it with MVP,” said the pair in a joint statement.
“She is facing a multi-faceted athlete in Stephanie Han who is a champion, a mother, and a police officer. And they are doing it with three-minute rounds, like the men.
“Joining them are an array of Puerto Rican standouts, including MVP’s own Yankiel Rivera, Jan Paul Rivera, and Krystal Rosado, representing the island’s next generation of greatness and demonstrating MVP’s commitment to pushing the sport forward through equality, opportunity, and world-class fights for fans around the globe, live only on DAZN.”
