Holly Holm’s victory over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 was one of the biggest shocks the Ultimate Fighting Championship has ever seen.
Previously undefeated Rousey had been an odds-on favourite, only for Holm to cause a huge upset with a second-round knockout.
Many had thought neither would fight again until a rematch was arranged, but the reigning bantamweight champ will defend her title against Miesha Tate at UFC 196 rather than wait for Rousey to return to full fitness.
And Holm’s background, rising up from nothing to earn herself a title shot, explains her mindset going into the next fight.
“I told myself I would never fight for money or for fame,” she is quoted as saying by Yahoo Sports.
“My mind doesn’t function like, ‘If I wait for this, it will be more money.’ That’s just not how my brain functions. There’s never a dollar sign in my mind when I’m thinking about my fighting career. I want the passion.”
“I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder. I don’t want it to be one performance. I want to show I’m here for a reason. For me, I want to keep going, keep getting better.”
Holm vs Tate plays second fiddle to the headline act that is Conor McGregor’s bout against Nate Diaz, and will take place next weekend in Las Vegas.
