Women’s MMAEditor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.
It was revealed last week that Holly Holm had requested and been granted her release from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It was a bit of a shock for several reasons. Holm had announced a new contract just two years prior and still had two fights left on the deal. Plus, she has long been a favorite of the UFC, having been awarded several title bouts, some of which may have been undeserved. Besides, where’s she going to go?
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It’s easy to look at Holm’s earth-shattering upset of Ronda Rousey in 2015 and say that sums up the entirety of her legacy. Holm was unsuccessful in her lone title defense following her crowning achievement and failed in three more attempts to capture UFC gold. She wasn’t a particularly exciting fighter to watch, either. Aside from finishing Rousey, Holm only had one other finish in the UFC, and that came against Bethe Correia. As she aged, Holm utilized her outside striking less and less, opting instead to use her physicality to grind away on her opposition against the fence.
Furthermore, her inability to score a win in a title fight outside
of the Rousey contest cements the idea that she isn’t an all-time
great. All-time greats don’t go 1-4 in championship fights, even if
they manage to pull off one of the all-time great upsets. The fact
that she was unable to follow up with success at a magnitude of the
upset only magnifies how great of an upset it was. No one on the
United States hockey team from the 1980 Winter Olympics went on to
spectacular success in the NHL, making the story of the upset of
the Soviet Union in the semifinals that much more endearing.
Despite all that, Holm managed to carve out a legacy that far exceeds how great she was. Yes, the Rousey win is at the core of that legacy, but it goes beyond just scoring one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Yes, I said sports history, not just MMA history. Rousey was a huge star at the time. No MMA fighter had been able to crossover into the mainstream the same way Rousey did. She was in big movies, and her roles were more than just cameo appearances. She was appearing on daytime talk shows. She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Young girls were following MMA like never before. Rousey appeared to only be getting better, having successfully secured her last four title defenses in a combined 130 seconds. That’s a total of four victories in less time than it takes for half a round to go by. Rousey appeared to be bulletproof, and Holm flipped that idea on its head.
It isn’t just that Holm beat the unbeaten Rousey. It isn’t necessarily that she brutalized the seemingly indestructible Olympic bronze medalist, either. She reminded us all, in the most definitive terms possible, that no one in MMA is impervious. Rousey’s limited exposure in the cage had many wondering if she even had a weakness, but Holm exposed her lack of striking technique and defense. Rousey’s story took a very sharp 180 at that point. It might be argued part of Holm’s legacy is that she changed the way everyone looked at Rousey, as well. Given Rousey is one of the most influential figures in the sport, that’s no small feat. However, the part that often gets looked over in terms of Holm’s legacy may also be the most important. She proved that it’s not only possible to successfully crossover from boxing to MMA but possible to climb the mountain in both sports in the modern era. Maurice Smith managed to do so with kickboxing and MMA, but that was also when MMA was still finding its footing in 1997. As the sport evolved, it looked like it was next to impossible to excel in multiple combat sports disciplines. Holm exploded that narrative.
In the process, Holm has to be partially credited—or, depending on your perspective, blamed—for the flood of MMA fighters pursuing boxing matches against big-name boxers. I have a hard time believing Conor McGregor didn’t see Holm find success in both sports and think he couldn’t do so himself. Don’t get me wrong, the millions of dollars McGregor had in mind played a big part in that, but it was just over a year after Holm had been crowned queen of the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division that he began talking about boxing Floyd Mayweather Jr.
If you believe Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira didn’t raise their eyebrows at Holm dethroning Rousey when they were plying their kickboxing trade, you’d be sorely mistaken. Given both had officially started their MMA careers by the time Holm beat Rousey, I have no doubt that they had entertained the idea of making their bones in both sports, but it’s always easier to pursue a goal like that when you’ve seen someone else do it first. Adesanya’s focus on MMA became far greater immediately after Holm’s victory over Rousey. Maybe it’s just coincidental, but I struggle to believe that. Perhaps it was an unconscious influence, but I’m sure it is there.
In the grand scheme of things, I’m not ignorant enough to suggest Holm’s influence is greater than Rousey’s. However, there is something about her legacy that I believe might drive some to reflexively deny my assertions. While less influential than Rousey overall, Holm has had a greater influence in men’s MMA. I have no doubt Rousey inspired some young men to get into the sport, but Holm’s crossover appeal is hard to ignore as we see more combatants try their hand in multiple avenues. Regardless, Holm’s footprint on the sport is undeniable, and it’s a big one.
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