Holly Holm’s Motivation For A World Title

Originally posted on BoxingNews.com | Last updated Jan 3, 2026 3:25 AM ET

Holly Holm prepares to step back into the boxing ring for a world title opportunity this Saturday against WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han, as she outlined the motivation for her return.

Holm last held a boxing world title in May 2013, as she beat Mary McGee via a unanimous decision to retain her IBA and WBF junior welterweight titles. She then retired from the sport to pursue the UFC, where she eventually won the bantamweight title after giving Ronda Rousey her first loss, with a stoppage at UFC 193 in 2015.

The bout with Han will follow the three-minute round standard typically reserved for men’s boxing, a format Holm has championed to bring greater equality to the women’s side of the sport. A victory would secure Holm as the first and only boxer to win a world title after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Holm, who was inducted in the Class of 2022, would have to give Han her first loss, as she is looking to defend her crown for the second time. Holm made it clear she had a point to prove and wanted to make more history.

Holm Reacts

“I’m a fighter, and I love to fight. I’ve just followed my passion where it’s taken me – boxing for years and then MMA for a couple of years. Having seen these girls have that platform, I thought, ‘I want to come back,’ and be a champion and come back to a sport that was always great when I did it before. Being able to fight in another weight division – I’ve never fought in this weight division in boxing before – but I did for many years in MMA, so it made sense to come back to fight for a belt.

“That’s my drive, and that’s my passion. I’m always looking to do something I haven’t done before, or that hasn’t been done at all. I want to be a two-sport athlete, but not just that, be a champion at the highest level in those sports. To be able to come back and get another title in another weight class is something that drives me, and that’s my goal. I want something that I know a very small percentage of people in this world can do,” Holm said

The Future

If Holm beats Han, Katie Taylor could be an option. Both fighters are now under the same promotion. For Holm, this would be a legacy-defining quest to become a champion in a fourth weight class. Taylor, who has already conquered the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions, would represent the ultimate technical test. The narrative of Holm’s Irish heritage vs. Ireland’s greatest sporting icon would likely result in a massive stadium event in Dublin.

There is the internal MVP possibility of facing Amanda Serrano. While Serrano has been focused on the featherweight division and her trilogy with Katie Taylor, a win for Holm over Han (on Serrano’s undercard) sets the stage for a internal stable clash. Since Serrano has expressed a desire to continue fighting three-minute rounds—a standard Holm also champions—this matchup would serve as a landmark moment for “equal terms” in women’s boxing.

This article first appeared on BoxingNews.com and was syndicated with permission.

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