"A lasting legacy" - Cris Cyborg congratulates Holly Holm on boxing Hall of Fame induction

On Sunday, Holly Holm was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Cris Cyborg, one of Holm's former opponents, congratulated ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ on social media.

In a recent tweet, Cyborg stated that Holm’s accomplishments and the way she achieved them set an example for other female athletes. The reigning Bellator champion posted on Twitter:

“Congratulations @HollyHolm on being inducted into the #IBHOF ❤️ what you have been able to accomplish in combat sports and the way you have been able to do it in a manner that sets example for younger generations other women to follow is inspiring and a lasting legacy 🙏🏽”

Holly Holm made her professional boxing debut back in 2002. Over the course of her career in the boxing ring, she stacked up a 33-2-3 record and held numerous titles, including the WBC and WBA world welterweight championships.

She was also named The Ring Magazine's ‘Female Fighter of the Year’ in 2005 and 2006. She retired from boxing after her fight with Mary McGee on May 11, 2013, to fully commit to MMA.

Notably, Holm and Cris Cyborg fought at UFC 219 in a UFC women’s featherweight title match. 'The Preacher's Daughter' lost via unanimous decision on the night.

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Holly Holm thanks coach Mike Winklejohn in her HOF induction speech

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York. The ceremony included inductees from 2020, 2021, and 2022, 36 in total, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Holm was part of this year's class, and other notable inductees were Roy Jones Jr., James Toney, Wladimir Klitschko, Andre Ward and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

At the beginning of her induction speech, the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion stated that she was lucky to have parents that supported her. Next, she acknowledged the support of her brother and friends.

Holm added that she was blessed to have the same people around her throughout her combat sports career, both in boxing and MMA. She made sure to thank her coach Mike Winklejohn and her manager Lenny Fresquez, saying:

"You want to talk about loyalty, that’s as deep as you can get. I’m so thankful. I don’t feel like this award is just for me. It’s a group effort, especially being a female. I know I wouldn’t have these opportunities without Lenny Fresquez… And my coach Mike Winklejohn. No matter what I did, he believed, and it was from the get-go."

She went on to emphasize how she feels about those who helped her in her career:

"And I’ll tell you what, there’s a lot of people out here in this sport, as we all know, between managers and promoters, coaches, they’re in it for their own glory a lot of times. I’ll tell you right now, I’ve been surrounded by people who have wanted the best for me. Very selfless love and support I’ve had.”

Watch Holly Holm's induction speech at 2:16:30 of the video below: