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Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm will square off against Ketlen Vieira at UFC Vegas 55 this weekend. The fight will mark her return to the octagon after an absence of almost two years.
'The Preacher's Daughter' will be coming into the fight riding a two-fight win streak.The 40-year-old made her UFC debut back in 2015 against Raquel Pennington and won the contest by split decision.
A former three-division professional boxing champion, Holm has a 7-5 record in the promotion and has impressed many with her striking.
As 'The Preacher's Daughter' prepares to further her prospects for another title shot, let's take a look at five of her best performances in the promotion.
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#5. Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie at UFC 208
UFC 208 saw Holly Holm lock horns with Germaine de Randamie for the inaugural Women's Featherweight title.
The opening round kicked off with 'The Preacher's Daughter' dancing around the octagon, slipping in a few combinations at de Randamie. The Dutchwoman, meanwhile, was good with her counter-striking, peppering the former bantamweight champion whenever possible.
The second round was mostly spent with both fighters locked in a clinch. This is where 'The Iron Lady' had a slight upperhand. She hurt Holly Holm with body shots from the clinch position and thwarted the American's efforts to inflict any damage.
Holm, however, recovered well in the next round. She used her feet to close the distance and target de Randamie's left leg with powerful kicks. Though she did get hit a few times in the process, she outstruck her opponent 16-12 in significant strikes on target, which included a crisp headkick towards the end of the round.
'The Iron Lady' outstruck Holly Holm in the last two rounds, but the American landed a greater volume of strikes on her opponent.
The Dutchwoman eventually won the fight via unanimous decision and became the inaugural UFC Women's Featherweight champion. The decision, however, was a controversial one due to the illegal strikes thrown by de Randamie.
Moments after the sounding of the horn at the end of the second round, 'The Iron Lady' rocked Holm with a heavy right hand. The same was repeated after the end of the third round, but no points were deducted in the end.
#4. Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana at UFC Fight Island 4
UFC Fight Island 4 was an exhibition of Holly Holm's volume striking. That's not to say that Irene Aldana's performance wasn't worth talking about. The Mexican went neck-in-neck with the American and made sure the fight went the distance. But the night belonged to 'The Preacher's Daughter'.
After teasing the Mexican from a distance, the American started dominating her opponent and peppering her with combinations. In the closing seconds of the first round, 'The Preacher's Daughter' shot for a takedown and successfully ended the round in the top position.
Prior to this, Aldana had only been taken down twice in her last eight fights and also had the best takedown defense amongst all female fighters in the promotion.
While she kept outstriking Aldana throughout the entire fight, the last round was where she came into her element. As per official stats, the 40-year-old outlanded the Mexican 48-18 in significant strikes on target, thereby ending the fight on a high.
#3. Holly Holm vs. Cristiane Justino at UFC 219
UFC 219 against Cristiane Justino counts as one of Holly Holm's best performances due to the durability she showed inside the octagon. Although she lost via unanimous decision, she showed some character during the fight.
'The Preacher's Daughter' endured heavy blows from 'Cyborg' but made sure to take the fight right till the final bell. With this, she became the first fighter in the promotion to make the then-Featherweight Champion go the distance for a win.
Justino, often regarded as one of the best female fighters in the promotion, went on the offensive from the opening bell. She pounded Holly Holm with head shots, often mixing them with blows to the body whenever she saw the opportunity. According to the official stats, 'Cyborg' outlanded Holm 118-44 in significant strikes on target.
The former Bantamweight Champion, however, wasn't someone to give up. She cut 'Cyborg' in the first two rounds and tried to counter with her volume striking. By the end of the fourth round, Holm's eyes were swollen badly but she didn't allow 'Cyborg' to finish her.
#2. Holly Holm vs. Bethe Correia at UFC Fight Night 111
Being 0-3 down, Holly Holm had a point to prove as she faced Bethe Correia at UFC Fight Night 111 in Singapore. And she didn't disappoint.
The first round was a quiet one, much to the dismay of the crowd. A paltry 12 significant strikes on target were registered in the first round by both fighters combined.
Holly Holm took a cautious approach at the beginning of the fight, trying to keep her opponent at a distance. 'Pitbull' too preferred to maintain her posture and wait for the former bantamweight champion to strike first.
The second round too wasn't any different. Eventually, referee Marc Goddard had to intervene to nudge the fighters to be more proactive. Things changed in the third round. As Correia taunted Holm, 'The Preacher's Daughter' knocked her down with a high kick and finished her with a strong left hand from the top position.
#1. Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey at UFC 193
With a 2-0 record in the promotion, Holly Holm got her first title shot against the then-Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.
'Rowdy' was the clear favourite going into the fight, having never lost a contest in her entire MMA career. But it was 'The Preacher's Daughter' who walked out of the octagon victorious.
The opening round saw the former World Boxing champion sting her opponent with heavy blows to the head. Holly Holm was excellent with her typical two-punch combinations, hurting Rousey with her explosive jabs throughout. By the end of the first round, 'Rowdy' had blood oozing from her mouth and looked a little shaken.
Almost a minute into the second round, Holm threw a heavy left hand that rocked Rousey. As the crowd watched in amazement, 'The Preacher's Daughter' immediately landed a stunning headkick, rendering the reigning champion unconscious.
