PHOTO | Holly Holm working on technique with BJ Penn and jiu-jitsu champion Roberto Alencar
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm was likely just a minute and a half away from defending her belt for the first time in a fight against Miesha Tate at UFC 196. Holm fought off Tate who had a dominant second round and nearly secured a rear-naked choke submission on the only fighter to win world titles both in boxing and in the UFC.
Holm ultimately lost in the fifth round when Tate was able to gain position and take Holm’s back again sinking in a deep rear-naked choke. Holm showed a never give up attitude without tapping and went unconscious due to the choke.
Holm said in the post-fight press conference, “I want to fight Miesha tomorrow. She’d want the same thing. She’s been around the sport a long time. I’m more anxious to get in and train right now than I have been in a long time,” she said.
“Miesha capitalized,” Holm said of her opponent. “I’ve said this from the beginning: she’s a scrapper. She can be behind in a fight and she can still finish and I let my guard down. It cost me the fight. It cost me the fight. So, the next thing I want to do is go in. I want to go back in the gym and get better. This is a whole different fight I had and I do feel like my whole MMA career has been on this fast course, which I love. I want the challenge. I wanted to take this challenge. I wanted to get back in there, I want a rematch or whoever they’ll set up a fight with. I want that. I’m here to fight.”
What better guys to be in the gym with working on her ground game and rear-naked choke defense with than UFC Hall of Fame legend BJ Penn and jiu-jitsu champion Roberto Alencar?
Holm posted a photo to her Instagram account saying, “How awesome are these guys ?!?! Thank you @tussagb and @bjpenn for your kindness and your knowledge. And yes…. My hat is the definition of awesomeness!”
Will Holm get her rematch with Tate at UFC 200? Let us know in the comment section if you think Holm will be able to work on the holes in her game and overcome Tate in a rematch.
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Holly Holm
