Former UFC, Boxing Champ Holly Holm Inducted into New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame

After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Holly Holm was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame on Monday night.

Holm, a former UFC bantamweight champion who is from Albuquerque, N.M., was part of the 2019 class that was supposed to be enshrined one year earlier. Holm posted photos of the ceremony, which she attended with her family, longtime coach Mike Winkeljohn and manager Lenny Fresquez.

“Tonight I was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame. I am honored and humbled,” Holm wrote on Instagram. “I truly appreciate everyone who has supported me in my journey thus far. My family, friends, coaches, manager, teammates and of course all of my fans. Thank you for believing in me in this journey and taking this ride with me. I am only more motivated to keep pushing to succeed and strive for greatness. I want to continue to make you all proud of me. It is impossible to put in words how much love I feel everyday. Here’s to aiming high. I am still striving to be the best I can be. Thank you to my team! Thank you to my fans! Thank you to my city! Thank you to my state!”

Before she tested the waters in MMA, Holm was already a beloved athlete in her home state for a boxing career that saw her compile a 33-2-3 record and capture multiple championships. “The Preacher’s Daughter” reached a new level of fame when she knocked out the previously undefeated Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 to claim the 135-pound belt. Though she would lose the crown one bout later, the Jackson-Wink MMA standout has enjoyed a successful promotional tenure that includes triumphs over Bethe Correia, Marion Reneau, Raquel Pennington (twice), Megan Anderson and Irene Aldana.

Holm is scheduled to return to the Octagon in a featherweight bout against Norma Dumont at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 16. She has been victorious in three of her last four bouts.

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